Fertility Supplements Questions and Answers

There is a lot of misinformation out there and it can cause a lot of distress and worry to women trying to conceive.

On this page Dr. Myatt will address some of these concerns regarding natural supplementation, vitamins, herbs, and more.

Using Flavones to Lower IL-6: Which is better – Luteolin / Diosmin or Maxi Flavone?

Milk Thistle – is it safe?

Green Tea – Causes Inflammation?

Myo-inositol in the Treatment of PCOS and Non-PCOS Infertility

What’s So Special About Maxi Greens?


Using Flavones to Lower IL-6: Which is better – Luteolin / Diosmin or Maxi Flavone?

Interleukin 6 (IL-6) is both a pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokine. (1-3)

As a class, flavones lower inflammation and inflammatory cytokines including IL-1, IL-6,
IL-18 and TNF-a. (4) Flavone-containing herbs have a synergistic effect when used in combination.(5-6)

The flavones contained in Maxi Flavone all have IL-6 lowering properties.

These IL-6 lowering herbs include Pycnogenol (pine bark) (7-8), red grape seed extract (resveretrol) (9-17), bilberry (Vaccinum myrtillus) (18-19), green tea (Camellia sinensis) polyphenols (20-23), ginkgo (24-26), milk thistle (27) and citrus bioflavonoids (4,28)

Further, the IL-6 lowering properties of the herbs in Maxi Flavone have been studied in humans. (8,12-14,16-19,25,27)

Luteolin and its semi-synthetic structural analog diosmin have been studied only in rodents for their IL-6-lowering properties. (29)

Maxi Flavone Or Luteolin/Diosmin for IL-6?

Maxi Flavone contains a combination of flavonoid herbs. Benefits of Maxi Flavone include:

  • Each herb in this formula has demonstrated IL-6 lowering properties (4,7-28)
  • The IL-6 lowering properties of these flavones have been studied in humans (8,12-14,16-19, 25, 27)
  • Safety of these flavones has been documented in humans (8,12-14,16-19, 25, 27)
  • Flavones work synergistically so that a combination of flavones may be more effective than an isolated flavone. (5,6)

Luteolin / Diosmin:

  • Has been studied only in rodents for IL-6 lowering properties and in only one study (29)
  • Has strong estrogenic properties that may not be desirable for many infertile women (30)
  • Isolated flavones may not be as effective as an array of flavones for lowering inflammatory cytokines.(5,6)

Until more research is available on luteolin/diosmin, Maxi Flavone multi-flavone formula would appear a superior choice for addressing elevated IL-6 than any single flavonoid including luteolin or its semi-synthetic analogue diosmin.

References

1.) Scheller J, Chalaris A, Schmidt-Arras D, Rose-John S.
The pro- and anti-inflammatory properties of the cytokine interleukin-6.
Biochim Biophys Acta. 2011 May;1813(5):878-88.
2.) Z Xing, J Gauldie, G Cox, H Baumann, M Jordana, X F Lei, and M K Achong
IL-6 is an antiinflammatory cytokine required for controlling local or systemic acute
inflammatory responses. J Clin Invest. 1998 January 15; 101(2): 311320.
3.) Rose-John S, Scheller J, Elson G, Jones SA. Interleukin-6 biology is coordinated by membrane-bound
and soluble receptors: role in inflammation and cancer. J Leukoc Biol. 2006 Aug;80(2):227-36. Epub 2006 May 17.
4.) Landberg R, Sun Q, Rimm EB, Cassidy A, Scalbert A, Mantzoros CS, Hu FB, van Dam RM. Selected dietary
flavonoids are associated with markers of inflammation and endothelial dysfunction in U.S. women. J Nutr. 2011 Apr 1;141(4):618-25.
5.) Rahman MM, Ichiyanagi T, Komiyama T, Hatano Y, Konishi T. Superoxide radical- and peroxynitrite-scavenging activity of anthocyanins; structure-activity relationship and their synergism. Free Radic Res. 2006 Sep;40(9):993-1002.
6.) Sagar SM, Yance D, Wong RK. Natural health products that inhibit angiogenesis: a potential source for investigational new agents to treat cancer-Part 1. Curr Oncol. 2006 Feb;13(1):14-26.
7.) Ozer Sehirli A, Sener G, Ercan F. Protective effects of pycnogenol against ischemia reperfusion-induced oxidative renal injury in rats.Ren Fail. 2009;31(8):690-7.
8.) Scheff SW, Ansari MA, Roberts KN.Neuroprotective effect of Pycnogenol® following traumatic brain injury. Exp Neurol. 2013 Jan;239:183-91.
9.) Cullberg KB, Olholm J, Paulsen SK, Foldager CB, Lind M, Richelsen B, Pedersen SB. Resveratrol has inhibitory effects on the hypoxia-induced inflammation and angiogenesis in human adipose tissue in vitro.
Eur J Pharm Sci. 2013 May 13;49(2):251-7.
10.) Gatson JW, Liu MM, Abdelfattah K, Wigginton JG, Smith S, Wolf S, Minei JP. Resveratrol decreases inflammation in the brain of mice with mild traumatic brain injury. J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2013 Feb;74(2):470-4; discussion 474-5.
11.) Marier JF, Chen K, Prince P, Scott G, del Castillo JR, Vachon P.
Production of ex vivo lipopolysaccharide-induced tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1beta, and interleukin-6 is suppressed by trans-resveratrol in a concentration-dependent manner. Can J Vet Res. 2005 Apr;69(2):151-4.
12.) Rizzo A, Bevilacqua N, Guida L, Annunziata M, Romano Carratelli C, Paolillo R. Effect of resveratrol and modulation of cytokine production on human periodontal ligament cells. Cytokine. 2012 Oct;60(1):197-204.
13.) Su YC, Li SC, Wu YC, Wang LM, Chao KS, Liao HF.
Resveratrol downregulates interleukin-6-stimulated sonic hedgehog signaling in human acute myeloid leukemia. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2013;2013:547430.
14.) Tomé-Carneiro J, Gonzálvez M, Larrosa M, Yáñez-Gascón MJ, García-Almagro FJ, Ruiz-Ros JA, García-Conesa MT, Tomás-Barberán FA, Espín JC. One-year consumption of a grape nutraceutical containing resveratrol improves the inflammatory and fibrinolytic status of patients in primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Am J Cardiol. 2012 Aug 1;110(3):356-63.
15.) Wight RD, Tull CA, Deel MW, Stroope BL, Eubanks AG, Chavis JA, Drew PD, Hensley LL.Resveratrol effects on astrocyte function: relevance to neurodegenerative diseases. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2012 Sep 14;426(1):112-5.
16.) Wuertz K, Quero L, Sekiguchi M, Klawitter M, Nerlich A, Konno S, Kikuchi S, Boos N. The red wine polyphenol resveratrol shows promising potential for the treatment of nucleus pulposus-mediated pain in vitro and in vivo.
Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2011 Oct 1;36(21):E1373-84.
17.) Xie XH, Zang N, Li SM, Wang LJ, Deng Y, He Y, Yang XQ, Liu EM.
Resveratrol Inhibits respiratory syncytial virus-induced IL-6 production, decreases viral replication, and downregulates TRIF expression in airway epithelial cells. Inflammation. 2012 Aug;35(4):1392-401.
18.) Karlsen A, Paur I, Bøhn SK, Sakhi AK, Borge GI, Serafini M, Erlund I, Laake P, Tonstad S, Blomhoff R. Bilberry juice modulates plasma concentration of NF-kappaB related inflammatory markers in subjects at increased risk of CVD. Eur J Nutr. 2010 Sep;49(6):345-55.
19.) Kolehmainen M, Mykkänen O, Kirjavainen PV, Leppänen T, Moilanen E, Adriaens M, Laaksonen DE, Hallikainen M, Puupponen-Pimiä R, Pulkkinen L, Mykkänen H, Gylling H, Poutanen K, Törrönen R. Bilberries reduce low-grade inflammation in individuals with features of metabolic syndrome. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2012 Oct;56(10):1501-10.
20.) Ahmed S, Marotte H, Kwan K, Ruth JH, Campbell PL, Rabquer BJ, Pakozdi A, Koch AE. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate inhibits IL-6 synthesis and suppresses transsignaling by enhancing soluble gp130 production. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008 Sep 23;105(38):14692-7.
21.) Cavet ME, Harrington KL, Vollmer TR, Ward KW, Zhang JZ. Anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects of the green tea polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate in human corneal epithelial cells. Mol Vis. 2011 Feb 18;17:533-42.
22.) Hosokawa Y, Hosokawa I, Ozaki K, Nakanishi T, Nakae H, Matsuo T.
Tea polyphenols inhibit IL-6 production in tumor necrosis factor superfamily 14-stimulated human gingival fibroblasts. Mol Nutr Food Res. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2010 Jul;54 Suppl 2:S151-8.
23.) Katiyar SK, Raman C. Green tea: a new option for the prevention or control of osteoarthritis. Arthritis Res Ther. 2011 Aug 10;13(4):121.
24.) Chen JS, Chen YH, Huang PH, Tsai HY, Chen YL, Lin SJ, Chen JW.
Ginkgo biloba extract reduces high-glucose-induced endothelial adhesion by inhibiting the redox-dependent interleukin-6 pathways. Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2012 May 3;11:49.
25.) Ching-Hsiang L, Chiao-Wen H, Nan-Fu C, Wen-Sheng L, Ya-Fen H, Wen-Tung W. In vivo effects of Ginkgo biloba extract on interleukin-6 cytokine levels in patients with neurological disorders. Indian J Pharmacol. 2012 Jan;44(1):118-21.
26.) Zhou YH, Yu JP, Liu YF, Teng XJ, Ming M, Lv P, An P, Liu SQ, Yu HG.
Effects of Ginkgo biloba extract on inflammatory mediators (SOD, MDA, TNF-alpha, NF-kappaBp65, IL-6) in TNBS-induced colitis in rats. Mediators Inflamm. 2006;2006(5):92642.
27.) Täger M, Dietzmann J, Thiel U, Hinrich Neumann K, Ansorge S.
Restoration of the cellular thiol status of peritoneal macrophages from CAPD patients by the flavonoids silibinin and silymarin.
Free Radic Res. 2001 Feb;34(2):137-51.
28.) Kim JA, Park HS, Kang SR, Park KI, Lee DH, Nagappan A, Shin SC, Lee WS, Kim EH, Kim GS. Suppressive effect of flavonoids from Korean Citrus aurantium L. on the expression of inflammatory mediators in L6 skeletal muscle cells. Phytother Res. 2012 Dec;26(12):1904-12.
29.) Parker-Athill E, Luo D, Bailey A, Giunta B, Tian J, Shytle RD, Murphy T, Legradi G, Tan J. Flavonoids, a prenatal prophylaxis via targeting JAK2/STAT3 signaling to oppose IL-6/MIA associated autism. J Neuroimmunol. 2009 Dec 10;217(1-2):20-7.
30.) Zand RS, Jenkins DJ, Diamandis EP. Steroid hormone activity of flavonoids and related compounds.Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2000 Jul;62(1):35-49.


“An IVF Doctor Said Not to Take MilkThistle” and Other Uninformed Medical Advice

From an infertility forum website, where the patient quoted an IVF doc as saying not to take milk thistle because “It makes the liver work better / metabolize things faster so it can metabolize your drugs too and hence shouldn’t be taken during an IVF cycle.”  There are no studies cited.

Unsubstantiated comments like this occur when a doctor steps outside of his/her area of expertise. That’s unfortunate, because it can cause a lot of needless alarm AND potentially drive patients away from helpful treatments. So, let’s set the record straight about this unsupported statement and about the usefulness of milk thistle in infertility.

The dose of milk thistle required to upregulate liver enzymes and therefor increase drug metabolism is of a 10 to 30-fold magnitude higher than anything Dr. Braverman or I use for infertility. A woman would have to take 24 doses of Maxi Flavone daily to achieve this increased drug metabolism effect, if even that would do it.

In the one lab rat study cited, an equivalent human female dose would be 2400mg+ per day.(1) Maxi Flavone contains 100mg per dose, maximum 200mg per day at the highest recommended intake. At this dose, there is not one study which shows that liver enzymes are upregulated enough to alter blood levels of any drug.(2-5)

Dr. Braverman and I are going for antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and TNFa inhibitory effect of milk thistle but we are well below any liver-enzyme upregulating (and therefor IVF drug-changing) effect. (16-20)

600mg of milk thistle per day in HUMANS (not just lab rats) did not show any significant effect on drug-metabolizing liver enzymes. (6) Other studies have shown a minimal effect on liver enzymes (P450, CYP’s, etc) even at concentrations much higher than doses found in Maxi Flavone.(7)

Only at very high concentrations has milk thistle been shown to affect liver enzymes. According the the FDA, “In view of the clinically relevant plasma concentration of approx. 0.2 microM measured as silibinin, it is evident that there is no drug-drug interaction problem with silymarin.” (8)

Any by the way, many foods and drugs affect this same liver enzyme system far more than milk thistle. Did you know that many “health foods” such as kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, arugula, watercress, grapefruit, pomegranate, and others can all have a profound effect on this important enzyme system?

http://dmd.aspetjournals.org/content/early/2006/01/13/dmd.105.007930.full.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruciferous_vegetables

HOLD THE MAYO

Milk Thistle according to Mayo Clinic’s website:

“Theoretically, because milk thistle plant extract might have estrogenic effects, women with hormone sensitive conditions should avoid milk thistle above ground parts. Some of these conditions include breast, uterine, and ovarian cancer, endometriosis, and uterine fibroids.” http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/silymarin/NS_patient-milkthistle/DSECTION=safety

Mayo clinic has some incredibly poorly referenced, contradictory articles on their site. I would not rely on them for authoritative herbal information. It is outside their area of expertise. (Don’t expect your brain surgeon to be an expert in acupuncture and don’t expect your acupuncturist to be an expert in brain surgery.)

For example, the cited Mayo clinic article on milk thistle actually contradicts itself. In one place it says “silymarin and silibinin in milk thistle reduce the growth of human breast, cervical and prostate cancer cells” and in another place it says “…should avoid milk thistle in… breast, uterine, and ovarian cancer…”  Which is it, Mayo?

Contrary to Mayo’s “theoretical” (read that: “unreferenced”) concerns, milk thistle has actually proven to be beneficial for the hormone-related conditions cited above in numerous studies. (9-15)

Next, someone thought they were revealing a smoking gun by quoting, “Silybin, an extract from seeds of milk thistle (Silybum marianum), is known to have hepato-protective, anticarcinogenic, and estrogenic effects.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20183284

Be sure to look at the doses when reading abstracts or medical journal articles. Dose makes a big difference. (I addressed this issue in a recent previous email)

This rat study used 18mg/kg given twice per day. That would equate to 2,454 mg per day for a 150-pound female. Maxi Flavone has 100mg total to be taken once per day. This is less than 1/24th the dose that has demonstrated estrogenic effects. (1)

Let’s Dump In Some Totally Unrelated Studies for Good Measure…

What was said: Reservatol increases Nk cell activity: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20082299

Dr. Myatt’s Comment: Resveretrol has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Resveretrol also suppresses TNF-alpha. Please see the extensive reference list here: Grape Seed Extract. Repeat after me, “preponderance of evidence” and “dose” (see below).

What was said: Grape seed extract and pycnogenol are aromatase inhibitors. Aromatase is an enzyme present in fat tissue and in ovaries that converts testosterone to estrogen. When it is inhibited, there will be more testosterone. Sometimes in short doses this is ok, as femara is works by being an aromatase inhibitor. “But it is not good to take this for longer times as it can inhibit ovulation and lead to high testosterone levels which are toxic to our eggs.”

Dr. Myatt’s comment: Here we have a medical opinion from a layperson. Would this really be the best source of information about improving fertility? Again, dose. The amount of aromatase effect from the doses of grape seed and pycnogenol in Maxi Flavone are insufficient to cause a hormone shift. Besides, your infertility specialist can easily measure hormone levels and would know if such a shift were occurring.

Dr. Myatt’s Caution About “References” and “Experts”

For any question you type into Pub Med (the medical journal article abstract website), you will find references that support both sides of the question. There’s almost never “black and white.” Instead, there are “ten thousand shades of gray.” Here’s what you need to know:

One reference does not make “proof” and an isolated lab rat study does not “prove” anything. The “preponderance of evidence,” including number of studies, how well-conducted the studies were, whether the studies were test-tube or lab rat studies versus human studies, who funded the studies, all must be taken into account.

I see a lot of women quoting single lab-rat or test-tube studies without any knowledge or consideration of the above-mentioned factors. So, when you are reading such “proofs” posted by non-physicians, please keep these factors in mind and “consider the source.”

Also, I believe any statement that has absolutely NO references should be dismissed on its face. References might not constitute “proof,” but at least they need to be there. Otherwise, any one of us can sit in our easy chair and “theorize.”

Theorizing won’t get you pregnant; it will simply waste your time.

Fertility is not individual brush strokes; it is the whole picture taken together. Dr. Braverman takes the “whole picture” view.

He is an expert in IVF, one of the most renown in the world. But when he is out of his area of expertise, he turns to me or another expert for their evaluation. He doesn’t just “make stuff up” like some so-called “experts.” THAT is the mark of a true professional.

References

1.) El-Shitany NA, Hegazy S, El-Desoky K. Evidences for antiosteoporotic and selective estrogen receptor modulator activity of silymarin compared with ethinylestradiol in ovariectomized rats. Phytomedicine. 2010 Feb;17(2):116-25. Epub 2009 Jul 3.
2.) Breinholt V, Lauridsen ST, Dragsted LO. Differential effects of dietary flavonoids on drug metabolizing and antioxidant enzymes in female rat. Xenobiotica. 1999 Dec;29(12):1227-40.
3.) Doehmer J, Weiss G, McGregor GP, Appel K. Assessment of a dry extract from milk thistle (Silybum marianum) for interference with human liver cytochrome-P450 activities. Toxicol In Vitro. 2011 Feb;25(1):21-7. Epub 2010 Sep 7.
4.) Gurley B, Hubbard MA, Williams DK, Thaden J, Tong Y, Gentry WB, Breen P, Carrier DJ, Cheboyina S. Assessing the clinical significance of botanical supplementation on human cytochrome P450 3A activity: comparison of a milk thistle and black cohosh product to rifampin and clarithromycin. J Clin Pharmacol. 2006 Feb;46(2):201-13.
5.) Gurley BJ, Barone GW, Williams DK, Carrier J, Breen P, Yates CR, Song PF, Hubbard MA, Tong Y, Cheboyina S. Effect of milk thistle (Silybum marianum) and black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) supplementation on digoxin pharmacokinetics in humans. Drug Metab Dispos. 2006 Jan;34(1):69-74. Epub 2005 Oct 12.
6.) van Erp NP, Baker SD, Zhao M, Rudek MA, Guchelaar HJ, Nortier JW, Sparreboom A, Gelderblom H. Effect of milk thistle (Silybum marianum) on the pharmacokinetics of irinotecan. Clin Cancer Res. 2005 Nov 1;11(21):7800-6.
7.) Gurley BJ, Gardner SF, Hubbard MA, Williams DK, Gentry WB, Carrier J, Khan IA, Edwards DJ, Shah A. In vivo assessment of botanical supplementation on human cytochrome P450 phenotypes: Citrus aurantium, Echinacea purpurea, milk thistle, and saw palmetto. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2004 Nov;76(5):428-40.
8.) Doehmer J, Tewes B, Klein KU, Gritzko K, Muschick H, Mengs U.
Assessment of drug-drug interaction for silymarin. Toxicol In Vitro. 2008 Apr;22(3):610-7. Epub 2007 Dec 8.
9.) Agarwal R, Agarwal C, Ichikawa H, Singh RP, Aggarwal BB. Anticancer potential of silymarin: from bench to bed side. Anticancer Res. 2006 Nov-Dec;26(6B):4457-98.
10.) Kim S, Han J, Kim JS, Kim JH, Choe JH, Yang JH, Nam SJ, Lee JE.
Silibinin suppresses EGFR ligand-induced CD44 expression through inhibition of EGFR activity in breast cancer cells. Anticancer Res. 2011 Nov;31(11):3767-73.
11.) Lu W, Lin C, King TD, Chen H, Reynolds RC, Li Y.
Silibinin inhibits Wnt/ -catenin signaling by suppressing Wnt co-receptor LRP6 expression in human prostate and breast cancer cells. Cell Signal. 2012 Dec;24(12):2291-6. doi: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2012.07.009. Epub 2012 Jul 20.
12.) Nejati-Koshki K, Zarghami N, Pourhassan-Moghaddam M, Rahmati-Yamchi M, Mollazade M, Nasiri M, Esfahlan RJ, Barkhordari A, Tayefi-Nasrabadi H. Inhibition of leptin gene expression and secretion by silibinin: possible role of estrogen receptors. Cytotechnology. 2012 Apr 17. [Epub ahead of print]
13.) Noh EM, Yi MS, Youn HJ, Lee BK, Lee YR, Han JH, Yu HN, Kim JS, Jung SH.
Silibinin enhances ultraviolet B-induced apoptosis in mcf-7 human breast cancer cells. J Breast Cancer. 2011 Mar;14(1):8-13. Epub 2011 Mar 31.
14.) Scambia G, De Vincenzo R, Ranelletti FO, Panici PB, Ferrandina G, D’Agostino G, Fattorossi A, Bombardelli E, Mancuso S.Antiproliferative effect of silybin on gynaecological malignancies: synergism with cisplatin and doxorubicin. Eur J Cancer. 1996 May;32A(5):877-82.
15.) Yu HC, Chen LJ, Cheng KC, Li YX, Yeh CH, Cheng JT. Silymarin inhibits cervical cancer cell through an increase of phosphatase and tensin homolog. Phytother Res. 2012 May;26(5):709-15. doi: 10.1002/ptr.3618. Epub 2011 Oct 20.
16.) Manna SK, Mukhopadhyay A, Van NT, Aggarwal BB. Silymarin suppresses TNF-induced activation of NF-kappa B, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, and apoptosis.J Immunol. 1999 Dec 15;163(12):6800-9.
17.) Johnson VJ, He Q, Osuchowski MF, Sharma RP. Physiological responses of a natural antioxidant flavonoid mixture, silymarin, in BALB/c mice: III. Silymarin inhibits T-lymphocyte function at low doses but stimulates inflammatory processes at high doses. Planta Med. 2003 Jan;69(1):44-9.
18.) Polyak SJ, Morishima C, Shuhart MC, Wang CC, Liu Y, Lee DY. Inhibition of T-cell inflammatory cytokines, hepatocyte NF-kappaB signaling, and HCV infection by standardized Silymarin. Gastroenterology. 2007 May;132(5):1925-36. Epub 2007 Feb 21.
19.) Feher J, Lang I, Deak G, et al. Free radicals in tissue damage in liver diseases and therapeutic approach. Tokai J Exp Clin Med 1986;11:121–34.
20.) Toklu HZ, Tunali Akbay T, Velioglu-Ogunc A, Ercan F, Gedik N, Keyer-Uysal M, Sener G. Silymarin, the antioxidant component of Silybum marianum, prevents sepsis-induced acute lung and brain injury. J Surg Res. 2008 Apr;145(2):214-22. Epub 2007 Oct 22.


Green Tea – Causes Inflammation?

Green Tea (Camillia sinesis) is an antioxidant that suppresses TNF- .(44-48 )
Full references for this can be found on this page

There is one recent lab rat study which says HUGE DOSE of epigallocatechin-3-gallate, an isolate from green tea, promotes inflammation.  This dose was 1% of total food intake. A person would have to be eating GRAMS of pure epigallocatechin-3-gallate per day to achieve this dose. Maxi Flavone contains 180 milligrams of a 50% catechin mix. This is miniscule compared to doses used in this rodent study.

In the same study, as in numerous other studies, smaller doses were anti-inflammatory. (1)

Contrast this to NUMEROUS studies which show that green tea is anti-inflammatory. (2-14)

Bottom line: HUGE doses of isolated epigallocatechin-3-gallate from green tea may be inflammatory, at least in one lab-rat study.

Smaller doses are well-proven to be anti-inflammatory in numerous studies including human studies.

Dr. Myatt’s Additional Note: People have died from drinking too much water (electrolyte disturbance). Does this “prove” that water-drinking is dangerous? Hardly. All substances and their effects are dose-related.  “The dose makes the poison.” — Paracelsus

References
1.) Pae M, Ren Z, Meydani M, Shang F, Smith D, Meydani SN, Wu D. Dietary supplementation with high dose of epigallocatechin-3-gallate  promotes inflammatory response in mice. J Nutr Biochem. 2012 Jun;23(6):526-31. Epub 2011 Jun 17.
2.) Akhtar N, Haqqi TM. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate suppresses the global interleukin-1beta-induced inflammatory response in human chondrocytes.Arthritis Res Ther. 2011 Jun 17;13(3):R93.
3.) Babu PV, Si H, Liu D.Epigallocatechin gallate reduces vascular inflammation in db/db mice possibly through an NF-?B-mediated mechanism.Mol Nutr Food Res. 2012 Sep;56(9):1424-32. doi: 10.1002/mnfr.201200040. Epub 2012 Jul 2.
4.) Bogdanski P, Suliburska J, Szulinska M, Stepien M, Pupek-Musialik D, Jablecka A.Green tea extract reduces blood pressure, inflammatory biomarkers, and oxidative stress and improves parameters associated with insulin resistance in obese, hypertensive patients. Nutr Res. 2012 Jun;32(6):421-7. Epub 2012 Jun 20.
5.) Bornhoeft J, Castaneda D, Nemoseck T, Wang P, Henning SM, Hong MY.
The protective effects of green tea polyphenols: lipid profile, inflammation, and antioxidant capacity in rats fed an atherogenic diet and dextran sodium sulfate.J Med Food. 2012 Aug;15(8):726-32. Epub 2012 Jun 25.
6.) Cavet ME, Harrington KL, Vollmer TR, Ward KW, Zhang JZ. Anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects of the green tea polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate in human corneal epithelial cells. Mol Vis. 2011 Feb 18;17:533-42.
7.) Chatterjee A, Saluja M, Agarwal G, Alam M. Green tea: A boon for periodontal and general health. J Indian Soc Periodontol. 2012 Apr;16(2):161-7. doi: 10.4103/0972-124X.99256.
8.) Chen J, Qin S, Xiao J, Tanigawa S, Uto T, Hashimoto F, Fujii M, Hou DX.
A genome-wide microarray highlights the antiinflammatory genes targeted by oolong tea theasinensin A in macrophages. Nutr Cancer. 2011;63(7):1064-73. Epub 2011 Aug 24.
9.) El-Mowafy AM, Al-Gayyar MM, Salem HA, El-Mesery ME, Darweish MM. Novel chemotherapeutic and renal protective effects for the green tea (EGCG): role of oxidative stress and inflammatory-cytokine signaling. Phytomedicine. 2010 Dec 1;17(14):1067-75. Epub 2010 Sep 18.
10.) Li J, Ye L, Wang X, Liu J, Wang Y, Zhou Y, Ho W. Epigallocatechin gallate inhibits endotoxin-induced expression of inflammatory cytokines in human cerebral microvascular endothelial cells. J Neuroinflammation. 2012 Jul 6;9:161.
11.) Lee YJ, Choi DY, Yun YP, Han SB, Oh KW, Hong JT. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate prevents systemic inflammation-induced memory deficiency and amyloidogenesis via its anti-neuroinflammatory properties. J Nutr Biochem. 2012 Sep 5. [Epub ahead of print]
12.) Park HJ, Lee JY, Chung MY, Park YK, Bower AM, Koo SI, Giardina C, Bruno RS. Green tea extract suppresses NF?B activation and inflammatory responses in diet-induced obese rats with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. J Nutr. 2012 Jan;142(1):57-63. Epub 2011 Dec 7.
13.) Ramesh E, Geraldine P, Thomas PA.Regulatory effect of epigallocatechin gallate on the expression of C-reactive protein and other inflammatory markers in an experimental model of atherosclerosis. Chem Biol Interact. 2010 Jan 5;183(1):125-32.
14.) Syed DN, Afaq F, Kweon MH, Hadi N, Bhatia N, Spiegelman VS, Mukhtar H.
Green tea polyphenol EGCG suppresses cigarette smoke condensate-induced NF-kappaB activation in normal human bronchial epithelial cells. Oncogene. 2007 Feb 1;26(5):673-82. Epub 2006 Jul 24.


Myo-inositol in the Treatment of PCOS and Non-PCOS Infertility

Inositol is part of the vitamin B complex. It occurs as 9 different isomers, but only two of these are of interest in fertility: myo-inositol (MYO) and d-chiro-inositol (DCI)

Both MYO and DCI have been studied and found useful in the treatment of PCOS (PolyCystic Ovary Syndrome). (1-14)

However, only MI has been show to be present in follicular fluid and only MI was able to improve oocyte and embryo quality(1,2,9,12,15), ovulation induction (6-8,10-11) and hormone balance. (3-5,13)

DCI does not have even remotely as much research behind it as MYO. (16)

Therefor, for fertility issues with or without PCOS, I recommend the myo-inositol form.

Please note that some of these studies used melatonin in combination with myo-inositol (2,11-12). Melatonin alone has also been studied and found useful for improving egg quality. (17-18)

Myo-inositol may also improve other associated risks of PCOS (such as high triglycerides and blood sugars) with or without an effect on egg quality. (3,5,7)

Most forms of inositol available in health food stores are probably the myo-inositol form. However, many products do not specify this on the label. I would always want to verify the actual form with the manufacturer before using.

A product called “Pregnitude” is available, containing myo-inositol plus folic acid. Several studies used myo-inositol with folic acid and found improved egg quality in PCOS. (9,11)  All pre-pregnant women should already be getting folic acid from their multiple because of it’s importance in preventing spina bifida. This makes the “magic” in Pregnitude the myo-inositol. Pregnitude is individually packaged by 2 gram serving, which is convenient, but the price is double what what most myo-inositol powders are.

Daily dose of myo-inositol for improving egg quality is 2-4 grams per day. This can be taken as 2 grams, once or twice daily.

Myo-inositol product has a mild sweet taste and can be taken in water, smoothie, Super Shake — whatever makes it easiest.

Egg Quality Protocol, Especially for PCOS Patients (Dr. Myatt’s recommendation based on the studies)

  1. myo-inositol: 2-4 grams per day
  2. melatonin: 3mg per day (take this at bedtime)
  3. folic acid: 400mcg (this amount or more should already be in a good multi-vitamin)

[Nurse Mark comment: Any woman seeking to improve or enhance fertility should be using a good quality Optimal Dose multivitamin – we recommend Maxi Multi of course – but for those who want to shop around for something else, please use the ingredient list on the Maxi Multi page as a reference for what an Optimal Dose multivitamin should contain.]

References
1.) Ciotta L, Stracquadanio M, Pagano I, Carbonaro A, Palumbo M, Gulino F. Effects of myo-inositol supplementation on oocyte’s quality in PCOS patients: a double blind trial. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2011 May;15(5):509-14. [##myo for PCOS##]
2.) Carlomagno G, Nordio M, Chiu TT, Unfer V. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2011 Dec;159(2):267-72. Epub 2011 Aug 10.
Contribution of myo-inositol and melatonin to human reproduction. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21835536 [###myo and melatonin; egg quality##]
3.) Costantino D, Minozzi G, Minozzi E, Guaraldi C. Metabolic and hormonal effects of myo-inositol in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a double-blind trial. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2009 Mar-Apr;13(2):105-10.  {## myo for PCOS; hormones and metabolic factors##]
4.) Donà G, Sabbadin C, Fiore C, Bragadin M, Giorgino FL, Ragazzi E, Clari G, Bordin L, Armanini D. Inositol administration reduces oxidative stress in erythrocytes of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.Eur J Endocrinol. 2012 Apr;166(4):703-10. Epub 2012 Jan 5. [##MYO improves oxidative stress (decreases oxidative species), improves hormones in PCOS##]
5.) Genazzani AD, Lanzoni C, Ricchieri F, Jasonni VM. Myo-inositol administration positively affects hyperinsulinemia and hormonal parameters in overweight patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.Gynecol Endocrinol. 2008 Mar;24(3):139-44.[##MYO; menstrual cycle improvements; better non-fertility numbers; 2 grams per day##]
6.) Gerli S, Mignosa M, Di Renzo GC. Effects of inositol on ovarian function and metabolic factors in women with PCOS: a randomized double blind placebo-controlled trial. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2003 Nov-Dec;7(6):151-9. [##myo, PCOS, ovulation induction##]
7.) Gerli S, Papaleo E, Ferrari A, Di Renzo GC. Randomized, double blind placebo-controlled trial: effects of myo-inositol on ovarian function and metabolic factors in women with PCOS. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2007 Sep-Oct;11(5):347-54. [## MYO, PCOS, improved ovulation, improved non-fertility peramiters (including weight loss)}
8.) Morgante G, Orvieto R, Di Sabatino A, Musacchio MC, De Leo V. The role of inositol supplementation in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome, with insulin resistance, undergoing the low-dose gonadotropin ovulation induction regimen.Fertil Steril. 2011 Jun 30;95(8):2642-4. Epub 2011 Feb 5. [myo, PCOS, ovulation induction##]
9.) Papaleo E, Unfer V, Baillargeon JP, Fusi F, Occhi F, De Santis L. Fertil Steril. 2009 May;91(5):1750-4. Epub 2008 May 7. Myo-inositol may improve oocyte quality in intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles. A prospective, controlled, randomized trial. [##myo+ folic acid for egg quality in PCOS##]
10.) Papaleo E, Unfer V, Baillargeon JP, De Santis L, Fusi F, Brigante C, Marelli G, Cino I, Redaelli A, Ferrari A. Myo-inositol in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome: a novel method for ovulation induction.Gynecol Endocrinol. 2007 Dec;23(12):700-3. Epub 2007 Oct 10. [##myo for ovulation in PCOS##]
11.) Rizzo P, Raffone E, Benedetto V. Effect of the treatment with myo-inositol plus folic acid plus melatonin in comparison with a treatment with myo-inositol plus folic acid on oocyte quality and pregnancy outcome in IVF cycles. A prospective, clinical trial. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2010 Jun;14(6):555-61. [##myo+folic acid+melatonin##]
12.) Unfer V, Raffone E, Rizzo P, Buffo S. Gynecol Endocrinol. 2011 Nov;27(11):857-61. Epub 2011 Apr 5. Effect of a supplementation with myo-inositol plus melatonin on oocyte quality in women who failed to conceive in previous in vitro fertilization cycles for poor oocyte quality: a prospective, longitudinal, cohort study. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21463230  [##myo and melatonin##]
13.) Unfer V, Carlomagno G, Dante G, Facchinetti F. Effects of myo-inositol in women with PCOS: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Gynecol Endocrinol. 2012 Jul;28(7):509-15. doi: 10.3109/09513590.2011.650660. Epub 2012 Feb 1. {##myo and improved ovarian function##]
14.) Nestler JE, Jakubowicz DJ, Reamer P, Gunn RD, Allan G. Ovulatory and metabolic effects of D-chiro-inositol in the polycystic ovary syndrome. N Engl J Med. 1999 Apr 29;340(17):1314-20.[##DCI for PCO##]
15.) Galletta M, Grasso S, Vaiarelli A, Roseff SJ. Bye-bye chiro-inositol – myo-inositol: true progress in the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome and ovulation induction. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2011 Oct;15(10):1212-4. {####myo for egg quality, not dci)
16.) Galazis N, Galazi M, Atiomo W. D-Chiro-inositol and its significance in polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review.Gynecol Endocrinol. 2011 Apr;27(4):256-62. Epub 2010 Dec 10.[##DCI not much research##]
17.) Batioglu AS, Sahin U, Gürlek B, Oztürk N, Unsal E. The efficacy of melatonin administration on oocyte quality. Gynecol Endocrinol. 2012 Feb;28(2):91-3. Epub 2011 Jul 20. [##melatonin##]
18.) Tamura H, Takasaki A, Miwa I, Taniguchi K, Maekawa R, Asada H, Taketani T, Matsuoka A, Yamagata Y, Shimamura K, Morioka H, Ishikawa H, Reiter RJ, Sugino N. Oxidative stress impairs oocyte quality and melatonin protects oocytes from free radical damage and improves fertilization rate. J Pineal Res. 2008 Apr;44(3):280-7.
[##melatonin##]


What’s So Special About Maxi Greens?

As with Maxi Flavone, Maxi Greens is designed to be a broad-spectrum anti-inflammatory and nutritional herbal formula. Maxi Greens contains:

1.) Anti-inflammatory herbs (the same ones as in Maxi Flavone): ginkgo biloba, bilberry,green tea, milk thistle, grape seed and pine bark (pycnogenols). See the full references for these herbs in the Maxi Flavone article.

2.) Nutrient-dense “super green foods.”

Maxi Greens includes wheat grass and several additional “green super foods” including: alfalfa, wheat grass, barley grass and wheat sprouts. Here is what the scientific literature says about these green food herbs.

I.) Alfalfa: a nutrient-rich herb high in chlorophyll, vitamins and micronutrients. Alfalfa is rich in vitamins A, B1, B6, C, E and K as well as calcium, potassium, iron and zinc.
Alfalfa has anti-inflammatory (1) and antioxidant properties.(2) Alfalfa reduced cytokine levels and ameliorated severity of auto-immune disease in animal models.(3,4)

II.) Wheat grass: contains vitamins A, B12, C and E, as well as amino acids lysine, tryptophan and phenylalanine. Wheat grass is 70% chlorophyll. Because of its high A,C, and E content, wheat grass is considered anti-inflammatory.(5)

III.) Barley grass: Has a high antioxidant activity. (6,7)

IV.) Wheat sprouts: contain meaningful amounts of A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, B17, C, D, E, F, H, K, P, choline, folic acid, inositol, PABA, boron, calcium, chlorine, chromium, cobalt, copper, iodine, iron, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, silicon, sodium, sulphur, zinc.(8) Wheat sprouts were shown to have antioxidant activity in bisphenol-induced ROS in young women.(9)

V.) Blue Green Algae contains dietary fiber, fatty acids, essential amino acids, and vitamins A, B, C, and E. (10) Blue green algae and other algal species exhibit immunomodulatory, antitumor, antithrombotic, anticoagulant, anti-mutagenic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antiviral activities including anti-HIV infection, herpes, and hepatitis viruses. (11-13)
It is likely because of its immunomodulatory and antioxidant properties that algal species are anti-allergenic.(14)

VI.) Spirulina is high in proteins, acid, vitamins and minerals. It is anti-inflammatory.(15)

VII.) Chlorella contains 60 percent protein by weight. It is high in chlorophyll, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. It is rich in polysaccharides, nucleic acids, peptides, essential fatty acids and B vitamins. Chlorella is rich in vitamins A, C, E, niacin and folate. Chlorella has the complete vitamin B-complex with more B-12 than beef liver by weight. Chlorella contains more beta carotene than carrots and other green leafy green vegetables. Additional nutritional content of chlorella includes zinc, iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, trace minerals and polysaccharides. (16)

Chlorella has anti-inflammatory properties. (17) It is also a biological response modifier. (18)

Because of its unique ability to bind with mercury, lead, and cadmium, chlorella can be used as a heavy metal chelator. Studies have shown that it has a superior ability to safely draw toxic metals that accumulate in the gut and intestinal tract. (19-22)

One study suggests that chlorella can stimulate cytokine production in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. However, this study was performed ex vivo and at blood levels significantly higher (10 to 100mcg/ml) than would be expected from the dose contained in Maxi Greens. (23)

In addition to the “green” super-foods, we included flavonoid-rich super foods as well. Flavonoids, as a class of antioxidants, are anti-inflammatory.

Acerola Juice Powder
Acerola is high in vitaminc C, A, B1, B2 and B3, calcium, iron, carotenoids and bioflavonoids. (24)
Aceroal exerts potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. (24-27)

Beet Juice Powder:
Beet juice (also known as beetroot juice) is one of the richest sources of dietary antioxidants, with high total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total polyphenol (TP) content. (28)

Beet root juice has been shown to protect against xenobiotic-induced oxidative stress in animal studies. (29,30)

Spinach Powder:
Spinach contains significant amounts if vitamin A, E, K, B2, B3, B6, folate and minerals calcium, magesiun, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, manganese and zinc. Spinach also has significant omega-3 fatty acids as linolenic acid. (24)

Because of its high polyphenol, flavonoid and carotene content, spinach has potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. (31-34)

Papaya (leaf) Papaya contains significant amounts of vitamins A, C, E, K and folate and minerals calcium, magnesium and potassium. (24) Papaya leaf suppresses inflammatory cytokines and exerts anti-inflammatory responses in both human and animal models. (35-37)

Dunaliella salina algae is a green algae that is a rich source of beta carotenoids including lycopene and zeaxanthin. (38-41) In studies, the synthetic beta carotene has had adverse effects in smokers while the natural form of beta carotene, as found in Dunaliella salina, has protective effects.(42,43)

Preliminary evidence suggests that natural beta-carotene supplementation results in better antioxidant activity and anticancer activity in humans than does supplementation with synthetic beta-carotene. (44,45)

Broccoli and Cauliflower are vegetables in the “Cruciferous” family. They are high in diindolylmethane (DIM), a metabolite of Indole-3-carbinol (I3C), a compound found in cruciferous vegetables including broccoli, cabbage, kale, bruseel sprouts and cauliflower. Diindolemethanes (DIM) is one of the major anticancer substances in the class of sulfur-containing chemicals called glucosinolates.(46)

DIMs help decrease estrogen metabolism by upregulating the P450 enzyme system. The net result of this effect is to decrease circulating estrogen levels and correct estrogen dominance. Because many causes of infertility including endometriosis, PCOS, ovarian cysts, and anovulation are all characterized by estrogen dominance, the addition of DIM by way of cruciferous vegetables can help balance hormones in favor of fertility.(47-49)

DIM inhibits the inflammatory response.(50-54) and possess antioxidant activity and decrease radical oxygen species (ROS) by acting as an ROS scavenger. (55-59)

Probiotic Cultures (dairy-free) Probiotics exert anti-inflammatory effects (60-61) and down-regulate inflammatory cytokines (62-63) including NF-êB, TNF-á, IL-6, and p-Akt (64-66)

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5.) Seymour K. Wheat Grass. Illinois State University. http://horticulturecenter.illinoisstate.edu/gardens/documents/grain.pdf
6.) Kamiyama M, Shibamoto T. Flavonoids with potent antioxidant activity found in young green barley leaves. J Agric Food Chem. 2012 Jun 27;60(25):6260-7. doi: 10.1021/jf301700j. Epub 2012 Jun 18.
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63.) Yoon HS, Ju JH, Lee JE, Park HJ, Lee JM, Shin HK, Holzapfel W, Park KY, Do MS. The probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus BFE5264 and Lactobacillus plantarum NR74 promote cholesterol efflux and suppress inflammation in THP-1 cells. J Sci Food Agric. 2012 Jul 17.
64.) Dai C, Zheng CQ, Meng FJ, Zhou Z, Sang LX, Jiang M. VSL#3 probiotics exerts the anti-inflammatory activity via PI3k/Akt and NF-êB pathway in rat model of DSS-induced colitis. Mol Cell Biochem. 2013 Feb;374(1-2):1-11.
65.) von Schillde MA, Hörmannsperger G, Weiher M, Alpert CA, Hahne H, Bäuerl C, van Huynegem K, Steidler L, Hrncir T, Pérez-Martínez G, Kuster B, Haller D. Lactocepin secreted by Lactobacillus exerts anti-inflammatory effects by selectively degrading proinflammatory chemokines. Cell Host Microbe. 2012 Apr 19;11(4):387-96.
66.) Thomas CM, Hong T, van Pijkeren JP, Hemarajata P, Trinh DV, Hu W, Britton RA, Kalkum M, Versalovic J. Histamine derived from probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri suppresses TNF via modulation of PKA and ERK signaling. PLoS One. 2012;7(2):e31951.

 

Brief Consultations With Dr. Myatt

Get Fast, Professional Answers To Your Most Pressing Health Questions

Do you need a few medical questions answered but don’t want or need a full patient consultation – complete with in-depth case study, research, and written recommendations – at this time?

A Brief Phone Consultation with Dr. Myatt may be all you need to get your questions answered.

Dr. Myatt is available for brief telephone consultations. Each 20-minute increment is economically priced and many people find that a single 20-minute session with Dr. Myatt is sufficient to get their most pressing questions answered.

Dr. Myatt will answer questions of a general nature concerning health conditions, holistic and conventional treatment options and nutritional, herbal and natural recommendations.

Dr. Myatt DOES NOT provide written or emailed follow-up or recommendations with a Brief Telephone Consultation.  A Brief Telephone Consultation does NOT create a Doctor – Patient relationship and Dr. Myatt CANNOT write prescriptions, order lab tests, or make a diagnosis based on a Brief Telephone Consultation.

Dr. Myatt cannot, diagnose, prescribe or make specific treatment recommendations during a brief consultation to non-patients.

Brief Telephone Consultations are NOT appropriate for or intended for use by established patients.

Here is an example of a question that is inappropriate for Dr. Myatt to answer in a Brief Telephone Consultation:

“I had a bypass a year ago and my blood pressure is 180/100, my chloesterol is 230, my hemoglobin A1c is 8.5. My doctor gave me statins, a blood pressure pill, and insulin. Which herb or supplement should I take instead, and in what dose? And, am I diabetic?”

Dr. Myatt cannot answer a question like that because she does not have your full medical information and history and has not done the deep research into your case that would allow her to make a proper recommendation. There is more to your health than lab numbers!

Here is an example of the same request for information, in a way that Dr. Myatt can answer:

“Dr. Myatt, what kinds of things would you recommend to help someone reduce their cardiac risks,or control their blood pressure, or support healthy cholesterol levels, or normalize and stabilize high blood sugars? And, what is it to be ‘diabetic’?”

Dr. Myatt can answer questions like this with information about diet and lifestyle, exercise, and yes, herbs, vitamins, minerals, and other supplements. She may suggest lab tests or alternative therapies to consider, and she can discuss drugs and alternative natural therapies for conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar. She can explain conditions like diabetes and offer information about possible treatment strategies to be considered.

Remember that your session is 20 minutes in duration. Dr. Myatt may not be able to give more than brief answers to some questions in the time allotted so be sure to ask your most important questions first!

In short, Dr. Myatt cannot tell you what to do or how to do it in a Brief Telephone Consultation – but she can provide you with information that will help you know what your options are so that you can make informed choices when it comes to drugs, supplements, diets, or other health decisions.

Make your appointment for a healthier future, starting with a personal one-on-one consultation with Dr. Myatt. Simply add one or more 20-minute visits to the shopping cart and make payment. Nurse Mark will then email and/or call you to arrange a convenient time to talk to Dr. Myatt. Dr. Myatt will call you at the appointed time, saving you long-distance telephone costs.

All other patient programs begin with a Brief Telephone Consultation. If after your Brief Telephone consultation you elect to enter one of Dr. Myatt’s advanced programs the cost of your Brief Telephone Consultation will be credited to the advanced program.

Learn more about Dr. Myatt’s Concierge Care and Advanced Medical Programs here:

Brief Consultations by telephone are available between 9 AM and 5 PM, Tuesday through Friday, Arizona time. When you checkout please tell us what times and dates would be best for your consultation – we will make every effort to accommodate your needs, subject to prior scheduling commitments. Please be sure that we have both a valid email and telephone number so we can contact you to arrange your appointment.

Please Note: Be sure that you are available at the telephone number you provide, at the time you have arranged, when Dr. Myatt calls you – there are no refunds for missed appointments!

In the event that you become unable to keep your scheduled appointment you will be offered one (1) opportunity to reschedule. If you fail to notify us of your need to reschedule at least 8 hours before your appointment time it will be considered a missed appointment. If you are unable to keep your rescheduled appointment time you will not be rescheduled and will be considered to be a missed appointment and your fee will not be refunded.

Your Brief Consultation must be booked and completed within 30 days of purchase.

In the very unlikely event that a medical emergency prevents Dr. Myatt from calling at your appointment time, you will be offered a full refund or a rescheduled appointment – your choice.

Please – DO NOT ask Dr. Myatt for diagnosis-specific advice, prescriptions, or lab orders during your brief consultation – it is illegal for her to provide these things to someone who is not an established patient.

DO NOT send Dr. Myatt lab reports, medical records or summaries, or any other medical information unless you are booking a New Patient Visit Telephone Consultation!

Any medical information that is received unsolicited will be treated as confidential medical records and will be destroyed immediately.

Brief Telephone Consultation

Brief Consultations With Dr. Myatt

Get Fast, Professional Answers To Your Most Pressing Health Questions

Do you need a few medical questions answered but don’t want or need a full patient consultation – complete with in-depth case study, research, and written recommendations – at this time?

Brief Phone Consultation with Dr. Myatt may be all you need to get your questions answered.

Dr. Myatt is now available for brief telephone consultations. Each 20-minute increment is economically priced and many people find that a single 20-minute session with Dr. Myatt is sufficient to get their most pressing questions answered.

Dr. Myatt will answer questions of a general nature concerning health conditions, holistic and conventional treatment options and nutritional, herbal and natural recommendations.

Dr. Myatt DOES NOT provide written or emailed follow-up or recommendations with a Brief Telephone Consultation. A Brief Telephone Consultation does NOT create a Doctor – Patient relationship and Dr. Myatt CANNOT write prescriptions, order lab tests, or make a diagnosis based on a Brief Telephone Consultation.

Dr. Myatt cannot, diagnose, prescribe or make specific treatment recommendations during a brief consultation to non-patients.

Here is an example of a question that is inappropriate for Dr. Myatt to answer in a Brief Telephone Consultation:

“I had a bypass a year ago and my blood pressure is 180/100, my chloesterol is 230, my hemoglobin A1c is 8.5. My doctor gave me statins, a blood pressure pill, and insulin. Which herb or supplement should I take instead, and in what dose? And, am I diabetic?”

Dr. Myatt cannot answer a question like that because she does not have your full medical information and history and has not done the deep research into your case that would allow her to make a proper recommendation. There is more to your health than lab numbers!

Here is an example of the same request for information, in a way that Dr. Myatt can answer:

“Dr. Myatt, what kinds of things would you recommend to help someone reduce their cardiac risks, or control their blood pressure, or support healthy cholesterol levels, or normalize and stabilize high blood sugars? And, what is it to be ‘diabetic’?”

Dr. Myatt can answer questions like this with information about diet and lifestyle, exercise, and yes, herbs, vitamins, minerals, and other supplements. She may suggest lab tests or alternative therapies to consider, and she can discuss drugs and alternative natural therapies for conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar. She can explain conditions like diabetes and offer information about possible treatment strategies to be considered.

Remember that your session is 20 minutes in duration. Dr. Myatt may not be able to give more than brief answers to some questions in the time allotted so be sure to ask your most important questions first!

In short, Dr. Myatt cannot tell you what to do or how to do it in a Brief Telephone Consultation – but she can provide you with information that will help you know what your options are so that you can make informed choices when it comes to drugs, supplements, diets, or other health decisions.

Make your appointment for a healthier future, starting with a personal one-on-one consultation with Dr. Myatt. Simply add one or more 20-minute visits to the shopping cart and make payment below. Nurse Mark will then email and/or call you to arrange a convenient time to talk to Dr. Myatt. Dr. Myatt will call you at the appointed time, saving you long-distance telephone costs.

All other patient programs begin with a Brief Telephone Consultation. If after your Brief Telephone consultation you elect to enter one of Dr. Myatt’s advanced programs the cost of your Brief Telephone Consultation will be credited to the advanced program.

Learn more about Dr. Myatt’s Concierge Care and Advanced Medical Programs here:

Brief Consultations by telephone are available between 9 AM and 5 PM, Tuesday through Friday, Arizona time. When you checkout please tell us what times and dates would be best for your consultation – we will make every effort to accommodate your needs, subject to prior scheduling commitments. Please be sure that we have both a valid email and telephone number so we can contact you to arrange your appointment.

Please Note: Be sure that you are available at the telephone number you provide, at the time you have arranged, when Dr. Myatt calls you – there are no refunds for missed appointments!

In the event that you become unable to keep your scheduled appointment you will be offered one (1) opportunity to reschedule. If you fail to notify us of your need to reschedule at least 8 hours before your appointment time it will be considered a missed appointment. If you are unable to keep your rescheduled appointment time you will not be rescheduled and will be considered to be a missed appointment and your fee will not be refunded.

Your Brief Consultation must be booked and completed within 30 days of purchase.

In the very unlikely event that a medical emergency prevents Dr. Myatt from calling at your appointment time, you will be offered a full refund or a rescheduled appointment – your choice.

Please – DO NOT ask Dr. Myatt for diagnosis-specific advice, prescriptions, or lab orders during your brief consultation – it is illegal for her to provide these things to someone who is not an established patient.

DO NOT send Dr. Myatt lab reports, medical records or summaries, or any other medical information unless you are booking a New Patient Visit Telephone Consultation!

Any medical information that is received unsolicited will be treated as confidential medical records and will be destroyed immediately.

 

 

 

Vitamin D A Special HealthBeat News Report



Vitamin D – You have been reading about it in the news, and you have wondered what is real and what is hype.

Dr. Myatt and Nurse Mark have researched and prepared this special report for HealthBeat News Readers.


Vitamin D — The Short Course

1.) Vit D is produced in our bodies in response to sun exposure. Vit D is also available from food and supplements.

2.) Vit D is FAR more important to health than was previously realized. I’m talking FAR more important.

3.) Vit D deficiency is widespread, including North America, even in sunny climates like Arizona. Many people who think they are getting enough Vitamin D from sunlight are mistaken.

4.) How to Optimize Vit D Levels for Good Health:

I.)  Vit D test, supplement accordingly, re-test

II.) Supplement at 5,000IU for 3 months, then test your levels.

III.) Don’t test, run the risk of being deficient, but take at least 2,000IU total per day. (This is still an extremely conservative dose, but much higher than the RDA of 400IU which hasn’t been changed yet to reflect the newer findings about Vit D). 

5.) Natural ways to obtain Vit D: Foods, supplements and sun exposure.


Vitamin D — Nutrient of the Decade: Are You Getting Enough?

The Consequences of Low Vitamin D

Vitamin D is called “the sunshine Vitamin” because our bodies make it in response to sun exposure.

Vit D is necessary for normal bone formation in both children and adults. In children, deficiencies of Vit D lead to rickets. In adults, deficiencies are associated with osteoporosis and osteomalacia (soft bones), decreased muscle strength and increased risk of fall. (1,12,14,22,43-48)Until recently, the bone-protecting effect was  about all that Vit D was known for, but the past decade of medical research has changed all that.

The newly appreciated Vitamin D deficiency risks include:

1.) heart disease: myocardial infarction, high blood pressure, heart failure, myopathy, sudden cardiac death, stroke (11,13-26, 30, 49-50)

2.) blood sugar problems: glucose intolerance, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome (13-14,19,23-24,27-29)

3.) cancer prevention and improved cancer survival rates (7,8,11,14,15,24,31-37)

4.) upper respiratory tract infections, influenza and tuberculosis (24,30,38)

5.) cognitive impairment and low mood (38-40)

6.) autoimmune disease (multiple sclerosis, RA, systemic lupus erythromatosis (SLE) (15,24,26,29,30,32,41,42)

7.) misc. diseases: psoriasis, polycystic ovarian syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease

8.) urinary incontinence (54)

9.) and all-cause mortality! (5,6,7,24,30,51)

How “significant” are these associations? Here are some of the conclusions of various studies and meta-analyses (lots of studies looked at together) concerning Vit D. Italics are mine for emphasis.

“Research strongly supports the view … Vitamin D status would have significant protective effects against the development of cancer …. cancers of the breast, colon, prostate, ovary, lungs, and pancreas…” (8)

“High levels of Vitamin D among middle-age and elderly populations are associated with a substantial decrease in cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.” (9)

“Low levels of [Vitamin D] are independently predictive for fatal strokes” (10)

“It is estimated that there is a 30 to 50% reduction in risk for developing colorectal, breast, and prostate cancer by either increasing Vitamin D intake or increasing sun exposure…” (11)

“Oral Vitamin D supplementation between 700 to 800 IU/d appears to reduce the risk of hip and any nonvertebral fractures in ambulatory or institutionalized elderly persons” (12)

” 28 studies including 99,745 participants … highest levels of serum [Vit D] were associated with a 43% reduction in cardiometabolic disorders (cardiovascular disease, diabetes and metabolic syndrome) …” (9)

Are Your Vitamin D Levels Optimal? (Vitamin D Deficiency is Widespread)

One billion people worldwide are estimated to be Vit D deficient, and the problem affects us here in the United States as well. (2) One study found that more than half of North American women receiving drugs for prevention or treatment of osteoporosis were Vitamin D deficient. (1) Another study found 48% of pre-adolescent girls to be Vit D deficient (3). Other studies have found that 40% to 100% of older men and women in both the United States and Europe are Vitamin D deficient.[2] Because of the importance of Vit D and how widespread Vit D deficiency is, an estimated $100 to $200 billion is spent (wasted) each year on diseases which may really just be Vitamin D deficiencies. [4]

Age, overweight, dark skin color, use of sunscreen, and overprotection from the sun’s rays are causes of decreased production of Vit D in response to sunlight. (52,52)

How Much Vitamin D Should You Take?

Ideally, you should take whatever amount of Vitamin D puts you in the “optimal” range. Since the amount will be highly variable depending on age, sex, race, weight, daily sun exposure and diet, there is no “one size fits all” answer. Instead, blood testing of Vitamin D levels and increasing intake until optimal levels are reached is the surest way to obtain optimal concentrations of Vitamin D in the body.

Deficiency Insufficiency Sufficiency * Optimal Excess (Toxicity) <20ng/ml 20-32ng/ml 32-100ng/ml 40-80ng/ml > 150ng/ml

* – conventional medicine says that 30 ng/ml is “sufficient.” Chart references (59-62)

At the wellness Club we believe the most accurate and effective way to embark on a program of Vit D supplementation is to perform a Vit D test, supplement Vit D in accordance with the results, and then re-test in 3 months at which time your daily doses of Vit D can be fine-tuned for maintenance. March (right now!) is the best time to test initially because Vit. D stores tend to be lowest in this month.

The Vitamin D Council, a non-profit group dedicated to Vitamin D research and education recommends people take 5,000 IU per day for 2-3 months, then perform a Vitamin D test. They then suggest adjusting the dosage so that blood levels are between 50-80 ng/mL (or 125-200 nM/L) year-round. (55)

Alternately, some people opt to supplement without knowing their initial Vit D levels. A dose of 2000IU is quite conservative but certainly safe for almost anyone. In cases of significant Vit D deficiency conservative dosing such as this may take considerable time to rebuild healthy stores of this important Vitamin.

For those who wish to calculate their own Vit D requirements, 100 IU of Vitamin D could be expected to raise blood level of 25(OH)D by 1 ng/ml. (11)

Can too much Vitamin D can be toxic? Research shows that massive doses may eventually cause toxicity. One source found that in adults a sustained intake of 50,000 IU daily could produce toxicity within a few months (58) and 40,000 IU per day in infants has been shown to produce toxicity within 1 to 4 months. (56) That is ten times the recommended dose for each of those age groups! Vitamin D testing is good insurance that will allow you to safely fine-tune your dosage to your actual needs. Be careful though, since not all testing is the same and lab references and standards vary – be sure that you are comparing “apples to apples” and obtaining useable results when you are tested.

The 25-hydroxyVitamin D blood test (25(OH)D blood test) is a test that measures the amount of calcidiol circulating in the blood. This is the most accurate measure of the amount of Vitamin D in the body. The Wellness Club offers Vitamin D testing – performed by a lab that adheres to standardized references and values so that you know what you are getting when you receive your results. This can is performed at home with a “spot” (finger stick) blood test. Other tests that require a blood draw are also available.

How to Get to Your Optimal Vitamin D Levels

Start Vitamin D supplementation eight to twelve weeks before testing. Dr. John Cannell of the Vitamin D Council suggests a starting dose of 1,000 IU per 25 pounds of body weight. For example, a 150 pound person would take 6,000 IU Vitamin D per day. (150 divided by 25 = 6; 1,000IU x 6 = 6,000). Maintain this dose for 8-12 weeks, then test.

This dose may or may not put you in the optimal target range, but it certainly won’t put you in any “toxic” range. Remember, most adults can safely take up to 10,000IU per day and still be far away from Vitamin D toxicity which typically appears at 40,000-50,000IU taken for several months.

Although this dose should theoretically put you in an optimal range, numerous personal variations alter Vitamin D requirements. Some people will need a higher dose than this calculation affords. However, taking the calculated dose should at least put you “in the ballpark” for optimal dosing.

When you test results come back, you can use the number to help you know whether or not you need to increase your Vit D dose and by how much. It is estimated that each 1,000 IU increase in supplemental Vitamin D will generally produce a 10 ng/ml increase in the Vitamin D blood level (8). If your test result shows that you are 10ng/ml below your target, increase daily Vit D intake by 1,000IU per day for a total of 7,000IU per day from the above example. Continue this dose and re-test in another 3 months to verify that you are now in your optimal range.

Congratulations! You have found your optimal daily Vitamin D intake needed to maintain optimal Vitamin D blood levels.

How to Obtain Vitamin D Naturally

Exposure to sun is the most natural way to boost Vit D levels. Medical scientists have found that the skin produces approximately 10,000 IU of Vitamin D in response to as little as 30 minutes of unprotected summer sun exposure. (57)

Vitamin D can be obtained from food too. Since rickets in children is such a crippling but preventable condition, governments have long encouraged the “fortification” of dairy products and breads and cereals with token amounts of Vitamin D. In the United States and Canada, for example, fortified milk typically provides 100 IU per glass.

It is difficult to obtain optimal levels of Vitamin D from food alone.

Food IUs per serving* Percent DV** Cod liver oil, 1 tablespoon 1,360 340 Salmon (sockeye), cooked, 3 ounces 794 199 Mushrooms that have been exposed to ultraviolet light to increase vitamin D, 3 ounces (not yet commonly available) 400 100 Mackerel, cooked, 3 ounces 388 97 Tuna fish, canned in water, drained, 3 ounces 154 39 Milk, nonfat, reduced fat, and whole, vitamin D-fortified, 1 cup 115-124 29-31 Orange juice fortified with vitamin D, 1 cup (check product labels, as amount of added vitamin D varies) 100 25 Yogurt, fortified with 20% of the DV for vitamin D, 6 ounces (more heavily fortified yogurts provide more of the DV) 80 20 Margarine, fortified, 1 tablespoon 60 15 Sardines, canned in oil, drained, 2 sardines 46 12 Liver, beef, cooked, 3.5 ounces 46 12 Ready-to-eat cereal, fortified with 10% of the DV for vitamin D, 0.75-1 cup (more heavily fortified cereals might provide more of the DV) 40 10 Egg, 1 whole (vitamin D is found in yolk) 25 6 Cheese, Swiss, 1 ounce 6 2 *IUs = International Units.

**DV = Daily Value. DVs were developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to help consumers compare the nutrient contents of products within the context of a total diet. The DV for vitamin D is 400 IU for adults and children age 4 and older. Food labels, however, are not required to list vitamin D content unless a food has been fortified with this nutrient.

Table courtesy of the U.S. Government National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements

Although cod liver oil is high in Vitamin D, it is also high in Vitamin A which interferes with Vit D uptake, so cod liver oil is not the best supplemental form of Vit D. Keep daily intake of pre-formed Vitamin A to a maximum of 5,000IU per day so as not to interfere with Vitamin D absorption. Beta carotene does not appear to interfere with Vit. D uptake.

Vegetarians need to be sure they are getting plenty of sunshine, because other than tiny amounts that may be found in UV-irradiated mushrooms, there are no vegetable sources of Vitamin D.

The Bottom Line on Vitamin D

Achieving Optimal Vitamin D  levels appears to be one of the most important things we can do for our overall health and life expectancy.

Please click on the image below enjoy an interesting and instructive video which discusses the relationship between Vitamin D and Cancer.

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References

1.) Holick MF, Siris ES, Binkley N, et al. Prevalence of Vitamin D inadequacy among postmenopausal North American women receiving osteoporosis therapy. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2005;90: 3215-3224.
2.) Holick MF. Vitamin D deficiency. N Engl J Med. 2007;357:266-281.
3.) Sullivan SS, Rosen CJ, Halteman WA, Chen TC, Holick MF. Adolescent girls in Maine at risk for Vitamin D insufficiency. J Am Diet Assoc. 2005;105:971-974.
4.) GrassrootsHealth. The Vitamin D deficiency epidemic. A call to D*action. http://www.grassrootshealth.org/daction/epidemic.php. Accessed May 8, 2009.
5.) GrassrootsHealth. Disease incidence prevention by serum 25(OH)D level. http://www.grassrootshealth.org/_download/disease_incidence_prev_chart_101608.pdf. Accessed May 8, 2009.
6.) Autier P, Gandini S. Vitamin D supplementation and total mortality. Arch Intern Med. 2007;167(16):1730-1737.
7.) Thomas L. Lenz. Vitamin D Supplementation and Cancer Prevention. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2009;3(5):365-368.
8.) Ingraham BA, Bragdon B, Nohe A. Molecular basis of the potential of Vitamin D to prevent cancer. Curr Med Res Opin. 2008 Jan;24(1):139-49.
9.) Parker J, Hashmi O, Dutton D, Mavrodaris A, Stranges S, Kandala NB, Clarke A, Franco OH. Levels of Vitamin D and cardiometabolic disorders: systematic review and meta-analysis. Maturitas. 2010 Mar;65(3):225-36. Epub 2009 Dec 23.
10.) Pilz S, Dobnig H, Fischer JE, Wellnitz B, Seelhorst U, Boehm BO, März W. Low Vitamin d levels predict stroke in patients referred to coronary angiography. Stroke. 2008 Sep;39(9):2611-3. Epub 2008 Jul 17.
11.) Holick MF. Vitamin D and sunlight: strategies for cancer prevention and other health benefits. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2008 Sep;3(5):1548-54. Epub 2008 Jun 11.
12.) Bischoff-Ferrari HA, Willett WC, Wong JB, Giovannucci E, Dietrich T, Dawson-Hughes B. Fracture prevention with Vitamin D supplementation: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. JAMA. 2005 May 11;293(18):2257-64.
13.) Anagnostis P, Athyros VG, Adamidou F, Florentin M, Karagiannis A. Vitamin D and Cardiovascular Disease: A Novel Agent for Reducing Cardiovascular Risk ? Curr Vasc Pharmacol. 2010 Feb 25. [Epub ahead of print]
14.) Holick MF. Vitamin D: importance in the prevention of cancers, type 1 diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Mar;79(3):362-71.
15.) Holick MF. Vitamin D and sunlight: strategies for cancer prevention and other health benefits. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2008 Sep;3(5):1548-54. Epub 2008 Jun 11.
16.) Judd SE, Tangpricha V. Vitamin D deficiency and risk for cardiovascular disease. Am J Med Sci. 2009 Jul;338(1):40-4.
17.) Kendrick J, Targher G, Smits G, Chonchol M.25-HydroxyVitamin D deficiency is independently associated with cardiovascular disease in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Atherosclerosis. 2009 Jul;205(1):255-60. Epub 2008 Nov 11.
18.) Lee W, Kang PM. Vitamin D deficiency and cardiovascular disease: Is there a role for Vitamin D therapy in heart failure? Curr Opin Investig Drugs. 2010 Mar;11(3):309-14.
19.) Martins D, Wolf M, Pan D, Zadshir A, Tareen N, Thadhani R, Felsenfeld A, Levine B, Mehrotra R, Norris K. Prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and the serum levels of 25-hydroxyVitamin D in the United States: data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Arch Intern Med. 2007 Jun 11;167(11):1159-65.
20.) McConnell JP, Foley KF, Vargas GM. HypoVitaminosis D: a new risk marker for cardiovascular disease. Clin Lab Sci. 2009 Fall;22(4):240-6.
21.) Mertens PR, Müller R. Vitamin D and cardiovascular risk. Int Urol Nephrol. 2009 Dec 29. [Epub ahead of print]
22.) Murlikiewicz K, Zawiasa A, Nowicki M. Vitamin D–a panacea in nephrology and beyond] Pol Merkur Lekarski. 2009 Nov;27(161):437-41.{article in Polish]
23.) Parker J, Hashmi O, Dutton D, Mavrodaris A, Stranges S, Kandala NB, Clarke A, Franco OH. Levels of Vitamin D and cardiometabolic disorders: systematic review and meta-analysis. Maturitas. 2010 Mar;65(3):225-36. Epub 2009 Dec 23.
24.) Pilz S, Dobnig H, Nijpels G, Heine RJ, Stehouwer CD, Snijder MB, van Dam RM, Dekker JM. Vitamin D and mortality in older men and women. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2009 Nov;71(5):666-72. Epub 2009 Feb 18.
25.) Pilz S, März W, Wellnitz B, Seelhorst U, Fahrleitner-Pammer A, Dimai HP, Boehm BO, Dobnig H. Association of Vitamin D deficiency with heart failure and sudden cardiac death in a large cross-sectional study of patients referred for coronary angiography. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2008 Oct;93(10):3927-35. Epub 2008 Aug 5.
26.) Wu PW, Rhew EY, Dyer AR, Dunlop DD, Langman CB, Price H, Sutton-Tyrrell K, McPherson DD, Edmundowicz D, Kondos GT, Ramsey-Goldman R. 25-hydroxyVitamin D and cardiovascular risk factors in women with systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Rheum. 2009 Oct 15;61(10):1387-95.
27.) Baz-Hecht M, Goldfine AB. The impact of Vitamin D deficiency on diabetes and cardiovascular risk. Curr Opin Endocrinol Diabetes Obes. 2010 Apr;17(2):113-9.
28.) Cheng S, Massaro JM, Fox CS, Larson MG, Keyes MJ, McCabe EL, Robins SJ, O’Donnell CJ, Hoffmann U, Jacques PF, Booth SL, Vasan RS, Wolf M, Wang TJ. Adiposity, cardiometabolic risk, and Vitamin D status: the Framingham Heart Study. Diabetes. 2010 Jan;59(1):242-8. Epub 2009 Oct 15.
29.) Holick MF. Sunlight and Vitamin D for bone health and prevention of autoimmune diseases, cancers, and cardiovascular disease. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Dec;80(6 Suppl):1678S-88S.
30.) Ginde AA, Scragg R, Schwartz RS, Camargo CA Jr. Prospective study of serum 25-hydroxyVitamin D level, cardiovascular disease mortality, and all-cause mortality in older U.S. adults. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2009 Sep;57(9):1595-603. Epub 2009 Jun 22.
31.) Grant WB. How strong is the evidence that solar ultraviolet B and Vitamin D reduce the risk of cancer?: An examination using Hill’s criteria for causality. Dermatoendocrinol. 2009 Jan;1(1):17-24.
32.) Holick MF, Chen TC. Vitamin D deficiency: a worldwide problem with health consequences. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Apr;87(4):1080S-6S.
33.) Holick MF. Vitamin D: its role in cancer prevention and treatment. Prog Biophys Mol Biol. 2006 Sep;92(1):49-59. Epub 2006 Mar 10.
34.) Ingraham BA, Bragdon B, Nohe A. Molecular basis of the potential of Vitamin D to prevent cancer. Curr Med Res Opin. 2008 Jan;24(1):139-49.
35.) Pilz S, Dobnig H, Winklhofer-Roob B, Riedmüller G, Fischer JE, Seelhorst U, Wellnitz B, Boehm BO, März W. Low serum levels of 25-hydroxyVitamin D predict fatal cancer in patients referred to coronary angiography. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2008 May;17(5):1228-33. Epub 2008 May 7.
36.) Pilz S, Tomaschitz A, Obermayer-Pietsch B, Dobnig H, Pieber TR. Epidemiology of Vitamin D insufficiency and cancer mortality. Anticancer Res. 2009 Sep;29(9):3699-704.
37.) Ginde AA, Mansbach JM, Camargo CA Jr. Association between serum 25-hydroxyVitamin D level and upper respiratory tract infection in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Arch Intern Med. 2009 Feb 23;169(4):384-90.
38.) Annweiler C, Schott AM, Allali G, Bridenbaugh SA, Kressig RW, Allain P, Herrmann FR, Beauchet O. Association of Vitamin D deficiency with cognitive impairment in older women: cross-sectional study. Neurology. 2010 Jan 5;74(1):27-32. Epub 2009 Sep 30.
39.) Cherniack EP, Troen BR, Florez HJ, Roos BA, Levis S. Some new food for thought: the role of Vitamin D in the mental health of older adults. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2009 Feb;11(1):12-9.
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Is Science On The Verge of an ME/CFS Breakthrough?

Figure 1: The NO‾/ONOO‾Cycle

Key to Figure 1: The NO‾/ONOO‾ Cycle “Players”

  • Nitric oxide (NO‾) is a naturally occurring “messenger molecule” in the body and also a pro-oxidant and free radical. Depending on the amount and where it is released, NO can be either beneficial or toxic. (141-145,223)
    Nitric oxide is known to play a role in blood pressure regulation, blood clotting, immunity, digestion, the special senses (sight and smell), and possibly learning and memory. Abnormal levels of NO‾ may play a role in diseases such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, stroke, hypertension, impotence, septic shock, and long-term depression. (52,145) In ME/CSF/FM and related multi-system diseases, research suggests that excess NO‾ may be a primary contributor to long-term energy depletion and immune dysfunction. (101,141-142,223)
  • Superoxide (O2‾) is a potent free radical. Like nitric oxide (NO‾), O2‾ has independent deleterious effects when expressed in excess. Superoxide reacts with NO‾ to form ONOO‾.
  • OONO‾ (peroxynitrite) is a potent oxidant that damages cells. It is formed when NO‾ and O2‾ react with each other. Peroxynitrite in turn acts through multiple mechanisms to regenerate its precursors, NO‾ and O2‾. In this way, a “vicious cycle” of damage creating more damage begins.

Consequences of Superoxide (O2‾) Excess:

1.) Inflammation (130,137)
2.) Vaso-spasm (131)
3.) Endothelial dysfunction (132,134,135,138,139)
4.) Associated with retinal cell death, pulmonary hypertension, general hypertension, atherosclerosis, neurodegenerative disease, type II diabetes (73,132,134,136-140)
5.) Decreased cellular respiration (133)
6.) Cell death (133) + Consequences of Nitric Oxide (NO‾) Excess:

1.) Cellular energy depletion (97, 120)
2.) DNA damage (98-100, 118,123)
3.) Neurotoxicity, neuronal cell death and brain injury (52, 57, 58, 84,100-104,111-113, 115,123)
4.) Hypersomnolence and sleep apnea (102, 105)
5.) Lung injury (61,62,128,129)
6.) Increased pain perception and lowered pain threshold (53, 59)
7.) Lowered blood pressure (224-225)
8.) Inhibition of the methylation cycle (106, 107)
9.) Formation of carcinogenic substances (99)
10.) Increased inflammation (61, 62, 110,120,121,125,126, 130)
11.) Cytotoxicity (68,114,115,120, 123)
12.) Modification of cellular proteins (100,123)
13.) No is associated with Alzheimer’s, Arthritis, Parkinson’s, stroke, hemorrhagic shock, cancer, viral infections (57, 58, 97,98,113,115, 120,121,122,123)
14.) Damaged mitochondria (108,109,111,112, 114,115,127)
15.) Suppressed immune system (122)
16.) Assisted viral replication and pathogenesis (122, 124, 126,127)
Consequences of Excess Peroxynitrite (ONOO‾)

1.) Neurotoxic (72,74,76,85, 88,89)
2.) Cytotoxic (68,82-84,87,119)
3.) Increases lipid peroxidation (54,87,90,119,125)
4.) Retinal cell death (73,75,86)
5.) DNA damage (77,87,118,119,125)
6.) Decreased mitochondrial respiration (cellular oxygen)
(69,77,78,90,92,119)
7.) Increase viral replication (80)
8.) ONOO- is associated with Alzheimer’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, lung injury, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, HIV, multiple sclerosis, kidney damage, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Sjögren’s syndrome, septic shock and other diseases. (57,72,74,78,80,81,84,87,88,89,91)

Fig. 2: Independent Consequences of Increased Superoxide (O2‾ ), nitric oxide (NO‾ ) and peroxynitrite (ONOO‾ ).

Dr. Bell, one of the first physicians to recognize ME/CFS as a discrete medical condition, proposes in his book Cellular Hypoxia and Neuro-Immune Fatigue that cellular hypoxia may be the underlying factor in ME/CFS and related multi-system diseases. (146). This is consistent with the NO‾/ONOO‾ theory, because injuries of many types result in decreased oxygen (hypoxia) to the cell, thus initiating this destructive runaway cycle.

Hydroxocobalamin Breaks the NO‾ / ONOO‾ Cycle

Hydroxocobalamin (cobinamide), a unique form of vitamin B-12, is a potent nitric oxide (NO‾) scavenger. It is the only form of vitamin B12 that effectively neutralizes the NO‾ molecule. Hydroxocobalamin is the preferred form of vitamin B-12 required to break the NO‾/ONOO‾ vicious cycle of cellular damage. (147-149)

The Methylation Cycle and ME/CFS

The Methylation Cycle is a biochemical pathway required for the manufacture of DNA, RNA, phospholipids (myelin sheath of nerves), neurotransmitters, adrenal hormones and more than 100 enzymes. A fully functional methylation cycle is also required for numerous detoxification reactions. (150-157)

A defect in the methylation pathway is a second proposed mechanism in the development of ME/CFS. The research of Dr Rich van Konynenburg has been instrumental in demonstrating the intricate interrelationship between the methylation cycle and ME/CFS. (158)

Methylation defects cause reduced detoxification ability, decreased production of serotonin, dopamine, melatonin and other neurotransmitters, decreased production of adrenal hormones, increased levels of toxic homocysteine, and decreased cellular energy production. (159-163)

This reduced production of vital neurotransmitters may explain the feelings of depression and despondency that frequently strike ME/CFS victims and would explain the positive effects often achieved with the use of SSRI and other mood-altering pharmaceuticals. Unfortunately, many clinicians interpret the improvement seen with antidepressant medications as “proof” that ME/CFS is a psychiatric illness when in fact an understanding of the methylation pathway defect offers solid evidence of a biochemical basis for depression and low energy in ME/CFS.

Figure 3: The Methylation Cycle

Note the overlap between the NO‾/ONOO‾ Cycle and the Methylation Cycle where excess NO‾ blocks methionine synthase, a critical enzyme in the methylation cycle. (106, 164-167)

The methylcobalamin form of vitamin B-12 is a required nutrient in the Methylation Cycle. If any one step in the methylation cycle fails, the entire cycle fails.

Vitamin B12: Which Form is Best?

What we know as Vitamin B-12 is actually a collection of four related but different cobalt-containing molecules. Each of these forms plays a distinct role in the body as follows:

Hydroxycobalamin is a unique form of B12 that quenches excess nitric oxide (NO‾), the precursor to peroxinitrite (ONOO‾).(147-149,172-176) Hydroxocobalamine (and methylcobalamine) are also more effective at treating neurological disorders than cyanocobalamine. (168)

Hydroxocobalamin participates in detoxification, especially cyanide detoxification. Cyanide levels are typically elevated in smokers, people who eat cyanide-containing food (like cassava) and those with certain metabolic defects. Excess cyanide in the tissues blocks conversion of cyanocobalamin to methylcobalamin or adenosylcobalamin. In such instances, hydroxocobalamin is the vitamin B-12 of choice. (169-171) Hydroxycobalamin is FDA- approved as a treatment for cyanide poisoning. (214

Methylcobalamin is considered by many researchers to be the most active form of vitamin B12. (177-179) It is the requisite form of vitamin B-12 in the Methylation Cycle. (179-186). Methylcobalamin protects cortical neurons against NMDA receptor-mediated glutamate cytotoxicity.(187-188) and promotes nerve cell regeneration. (189) Methylcobalamine is the only form of vitamin B-12 that participates in regulating circadian rhythms (sleep/wake cycles). It has been shown to improve sleep quality and refreshment from sleep, as well as increased feeling of well-being, concentration and alertness. (190).

Adenosylcobalamin (dibencozide), another highly active form of vitamin B12, is essential for energy metabolism (191) and is required for normal myelin sheath formation and nucleoprotein synthesis. Deficiencies are associated with nerve and spinal cord degeneration. (192-193)

Cyanocobalamin, the most common form of B12 found in nutritional supplements, is a synthetic form of B12 not found in nature. It has the lowest biological activity and must be converted in the liver to more biologically active forms. This conversion is inefficient and some people who may not benefit from cyanocobalamine due to lack of assimilation or conversion. (194-195) However, the cyano form of B12 is needed to balance hydroxycobalamin in performing its NO-quenching function and should therefore be included in hydroxocobalamine supplements. (176)

Who is Vitamin B12 Deficient and Why?

Research shows that a much larger segment of the general population is vitamin B12 deficient than previously thought. Recent studies indicate that up to 78% of seniors are deficient. (196-197)

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), seen in as many as 77% of CFS patients and 78% of FM patients (198-199) is a major cause of vitamin B12 deficiency. (200) This leads one to ponder the “which came first, the chicken or egg” nature of this: are ME/CFS patients B12 deficient because of IBS, or is IBS a result of cellular or neurological insult caused by B12 deficiency?

Other high-risk groups for B12 deficiency include those who use acid-blocking or neutralizing drugs (such as Prilosec, Prevacid, Nexium and others) (201-204), drugs which impair intestinal absorption (such as Metformin, Questron and Chloromycetin) (205), and people who have had gastric surgery. (206-207) Bacterial overgrowth of the small intestine, which occurs frequently in people with ME/CFS and low stomach acid, is a predisposing factor for B12 deficiency because the bacteria themselves use vitamin B12. (208-209)

The most recent and disturbing studies suggest that vitamin B12 deficiency is more prevalent in young adults than previously thought. (210-211). One study found that vitamin B12 deficiency was similar in three age groups (26-49 years, 50-64 years, and 65 years and older), but that early symptoms were simply less apparent in the young. This study also found that those who did not take a vitamin B12-containing supplement were twice as likely to be deficient as supplement users, regardless of age. (210)

Secondly, unlike other water-soluble vitamins, B12 is stored in the liver, kidneys and other tissues. Deficiencies of B12 often appear so slowly and subtly as to go unnoticed, and blood tests for vitamin B12 levels miss early deficiency states at least 50% of the time. (212-213)

Why Vitamin B12 MUST Be Obtained From Supplements

Medical science once believed that few people were vitamin B12 deficient. This false assumption may stem from the fact that vitamin B12 is produced in the body by a normal, healthy population of bowel bacteria.

Foods are not a significant source of vitamin B12. Meat, milk, eggs, fish, and shellfish contain the highest amount of B12 but only 50% of this is absorbable even in a healthy gut. (215) Vegetarian sources of vitamin B12, such as algae, are not bio-available and do not make significant contribution to dietary vitamin B12 levels. (216)

Further, absorption is hampered by low stomach acid, IBS, and bacterial overgrowth of the small intestine — conditions which are common in ME/CFS sufferers. The US Institute of Medicine recommends that adults over 50 obtain their vitamin B12 from supplements. (14)

Oral vs. Injectable: Which is Best?

Although vitamin B12 has previously been given by injection, it is now accepted in conventional medicine that oral vitamin B12 is equally as effective as injection in treating pernicious anemia and other B12 deficient states. (214, 217-220).

According to The National Institutes of Health (NIH), oral vitamin B12 supplementation is extremely safe (221-222). It is also as effective as injections, (14,219-220) and inexpensive and more convenient compared to injection. (220)

All Roads Lead To B12: Conclusions and Recommendations

The suffering from ME/CFS and other multi-system diseases is widespread and devastating. This affliction is beginning to receive more attention, perhaps because of the activism of those affected and the dedication of ME/CFS researchers and clinicians. Current research is providing us with new insights into the underlying mechanisms of this complicated illness.

The Nitric Oxide / Peroxynitrite model (NO‾/ONOO‾) and The Methylation Cycle have emerged as two likely contributory mechanisms to ME/CFS and other multi-system diseases including Fibromyalgia (FM), Lyme Disease, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS), PTSD and Gulf War Syndrome. Deficiencies of either of two forms of vitamin B12 — hydroxocobalamin and/or methylcobalamin — play a significant role in these biochemical processes.

Since Vitamin B12 (especially the hydroxocobalamin and methycobalamin forms) offer such potential benefits for ME/CFS and other multi-system disease sufferers — without known risks — it seems reasonable to suggest that anyone suffering with ME/CFS or other multi-system illness should consider taking a supplement containing these two important forms of vitamin B12.

Furthermore, because of the balancing effect that cyanocobalamin has on hydroxycobalamin (176) and the protective and regenerative effect that adenosylcobalamin exerts on the myelin sheath of nerves (192-193), these forms should also be considered as an important part of any complete vitamin B12 supplement.

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Saturated Fats and The Big Fat Lie 


“For every complicated problem there is a solution that is simple, direct, understandable, and wrong.” — H.L. Mencken

 Everybody knows that saturated fats are unhealthy, just like everybody knew once upon a time that the earth was flat. The saturated fat myth has seriously compromised the heart-health of Americans, and it’s all based on a Big Fat Lie. Here’s how this fairy tale came to be….

How Bad Science (And Urban Health Legends) Get Started

Once upon a time, not so very long ago in a place called Nebraska (where the corn grows as high as an elephant’s eye) there lived a handsome young man who was very wealthy and powerful and kept himself very fit. This young man worked hard making millions of dollars in the construction industry and he loved to eat hamburgers. Though he was a very happy young man with a fine family and a successful business, all was not well. One day the young man became very sick. He suffered a heart attack, and almost died.

The young man’s doctors were very skilled and they saved the his life, but this turn of events frightened the young man very much and he set out to discover why such a dreadful thing happened to him. He found out that his blood cholesterol was high and his doctors told him that this was the cause of his heart attack. Without questioning whether this was true or not, the young man made up his mind to ensure that this would never happen again. He set out to learn as much as he could about heart disease and cholesterol, and quickly decided that the foods he was eating were to blame for his troubles. You see, the experts at that time believed that certain kinds of fats called saturated fats would cause high blood cholesterol and dangerous buildups of a substance called plaque in peoples blood vessels. The young man listened carefully to these “experts,” and being a fine young man who wished to help others avoid the troubles that he had experienced, he decided that he would do everything in his power to make sure that saturated fats never ever harmed anyone again.

The young man wrote many letters and spent much of his own money to take out big newspaper ads telling people how they were being poisoned by saturated fats. He made a lot of people believe in the same things that he believed – that is, that saturated fats were bad and would make them sick and had no place in a healthy diet. The young man’s efforts were quite successful and many big companies were forced to change the way they cooked their foods. They stopped using the saturated fats, and began to use fats that were created especially for them by big industries in big factories. They said that these fats were healthier, and the young man was pleased.

The young man became very popular, and dedicated the rest of his life to his mission of spreading the word about “bad saturated fats” and cholesterol to all who would listen. He didn’t live happily ever after, but he did live a long life, and became known as “America’s Number One Cholesterol Fighter” before he became sick with heart failure and passed away just a few years ago.

While this sounds like a fairy tale, it really isn’t. Philip Sokolof was a handsome and wealthy young man who suffered a heart attack that was blamed on high cholesterol and who dedicated himself and his millions to becoming a self-described “amateur cardiologist” and championing the cause of removing the saturated fats that he believed caused elevated blood cholesterol levels from the American diet. While his intentions were good, his science was shaky (he was a high school graduate, not a biochemist or a doctor – much less a cardiologist) and his misguided campaign resulted in the replacement of stable, healthy saturated fats with artificially created trans fatty acids that we now know as extremely dangerous “trans fats.”

Big Business (Can You Say “Proctor and Gamble”?) Helps Promote the Sat Fat Myth

While Sokolof was largely responsible for the vilification of saturated fats in America, he was not alone. The campaign against saturated fats actually began many years earlier, and Sokolof’s efforts were going on at the same time as the efforts from other political organizations were gathering momentum. A few years prior to Sokolof’s efforts, in 1986, the American Soybean Association began a campaign protesting the importation of competing palm and coconut oils. Two years later the “watchdog” organization, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, took up the cry against saturated fats with the publication of a booklet that was later found to contain mistakes, errors of biochemistry, and erroneous statements about the fat composition of foods. This concerted campaign against saturated tropical oils paid off, and ” fats” have been considered poison ever since by mainstream medicine and nutrition “experts.”

To discover why saturated fats have been given such a bad rap we need to go a little further back into history – perhaps as far back as the riverboat days of Mark Twain, but at least to the Second World War, when Japanese forces occupied much of the south Pacific and supplies of most of the tropical oils in the US were cut off for a number of years. Americans turned to home-grown substitutes: polyunsaturated oils such as corn, peanut, cottonseed, and a product of the aforementioned American Soybean Association, soy oil. As the use of these oils grew the growers and industries involved in their production became more powerful and eager to protect their market at any cost.

At this same time, in the early 1950′s, America began to notice a sharp increase in rates of cardiovascular disease and researchers were looking for answers. A study conducted by a Russian researcher found that rabbits, fed with animal fats (cholesterol) added to their feed developed fatty deposits in their skin and other tissues, including their blood vessels. (I’ll bet those normally vegetarian bunnies wondered what they were being fed!) Another sensational study relied on autopsies of American soldiers that had died in the Korean conflict and found that many of those examined had buildups of arterial plaque – atherosclerosis. (Which surely couldn’t have had anything to do with the military diet of the day, right? Or with the popularity of cigarette smoking?) This study, which made major news at the time, overshadowed other studies of the period which showed similar degrees of atherosclerosis in populations which had less mortality from heart disease despite high fat and high meat diets, or that ate far more vegetarian diets and suffered similar degrees of atherosclerosis, and generally indicated that the thickening of the arterial walls is a natural and unavoidable process. The press took the headline-grabbing autopsy results and ran with them using their usual logic of “the rooster crows every morning, and then the sun rises: therefore, the crowing of the rooster is what makes sunrise happen!”

During the 1960′s the attack on saturated fats continued with unabated vigor: despite scientific studies showing a decided lack of benefits companies such as Mazola and Proctor and Gamble promoted their vegetable oil creations as being especially healthy, and medical journals of the day promoted Fleischman’s unsalted margarine as being especially good for patients with high blood pressure. The American Medical Association was initially skeptical of all this hype but after the American Heart Association published its dietary guidelines damning animal fats and praising vegetable oils the AMA quickly fell into line. In 1966 a little self-help book called “Your Heart Has Nine Lives” advocated the substitution of vegetable oils for butter and other so-called “artery clogging” saturated fats. This book was sponsored by makers of Mazola Corn Oil and Mazola Margarine – no surprise – and was widely and freely circulated.

And that brings us to the handsome young man with his clogged arteries. Despite volumes of evidence to the contrary, saturated fats have been the “fall guy” for coronary artery disease since the 1950′s when in fact, as early as 1956 one researcher had suggested that the increasing use of hydrogenated vegetable oils might be the underlying cause of the CAD epidemic. Unwilling to stand idly by and let profits be imperiled by such things as health or humanitarian concerns, the massive and powerful edible oil industry in the United States has obfuscated, bullied, manipulated, and outright lied to protect it’s burgeoning market share. Supporting the flawed science of Philip Sokolof and pressuring legislators to adopt the anti-saturated fat / tropical oils legislation that he promoted was just good business.

Setting the Record Straight about Sat Fats

So, just what are these so-called saturated fats, where do they come from, and what are they used for? Well, the answers to these questions might be a surprise – sat fats are not what we have been led to believe. The most exact answers to the question “what is a saturated fat?” require some tedious and complicated science, and there are varying degrees of saturation. It is easier to simply think of the properties of “hardness” of fats.

A fat that is fully “saturated” would be as hard as wax, and quite indigestible. Fats that are almost totally “unsaturated” are very liquid, easily absorbed, and not at all common in the natural food supply. This “hardness” of fats is also dependant upon temperature. Many fats are liquid when warm, and solid when cold. Butter, for example, is quite hard when refrigerated, but soft at room temperature. Animal fats such as beef fat, lard, or chicken fat, while usually called “saturated fats” are actually not so: they are mixtures of naturally occurring fats and are actually less than half “saturated.” So-called “saturated fats” include things such as cocoa butter, dairy fats (milk fats and butter for example), palm oil, and tallow. Even breast milk is high in saturated fats! Monounsaturated fats include most animal fats, olive oil, canola oil, and peanut oil. Polyunsaturated fats include corn, cotton, and soybean oils, borage and primrose oil, flax seed oil, and fish oil.

Then there are the “modified” oils: oils that have been altered through a process called “hydrogenation” to make them more useful for certain applications. Margarine is a perfect example of hydrogenation: liquid oil such as cottonseed oil or corn oil, something that humans would never eat in nature, is altered to make it more solid and hard at room temperature. Crisco is another example – the name stands for CRyStalized Cottonseed Oil. The degree of hydrogenation is varied according to the desired use of the oil. Heavily hydrogenated oils might become stick margarine, while less hydrogenated or “partially hydrogenated” oils would become “spreads” or other “food products.”

Then there are the “trans fats” that have been in the news lately. These are fats that have had their molecular geometry altered, either on purpose or accidentally, and they are with very few and minor exceptions, not found in nature. Trans fats, when eaten by humans, tend to have some very bad effects on our bodies as they enter our cells and change how the cell walls function. Effects of trans fats in humans (and animals too) range from unfavorable changes in cholesterol levels to causing blood to become more “sticky”, to reduced ability to utilize insulin and increased blood sugar levels and increased weight, to alterations in hormone balances, and more. Trans fats are really only a very small step away from polyunsaturated fats – many polyunsaturated fats can be turned “trans” simply by heating them too much in cooking!

So, what does all this mean in more practical terms? It means that we must choose our fats carefully, and use them wisely. It means that we must cautiously weigh the claimed benefits of the vegetable-based hydrogenated “designer fats” that are so very commonplace in our modern “fast foods / prepared foods” diet against the known benefits of those traditional and natural fats that have been a part of mankind’s diet for millions of years.

We humans have evolved over the millennia as creatures that are well-adapted to, and in fact require, animal fats and proteins in our diets for optimal health – the claims of the vegetarian and vegan folks notwithstanding. Indeed, our very first meal, at our mother’s breast, supplied us with a high energy drink that gave our tiny bodies the cholesterol needed for development, and a special fat called Lauric Acid. This Lauric Acid, which is also found in the now-vilified tropical oils coconut oil and palm kernel oil has very strong antifungal and antibacterial properties and helps our tiny infant bodies develop strong immune systems. We are very well equipped to utilize fatty acids in the form of saturated fats such as dairy fats, and monounsaturated fats such as animal fats and olive oil. It is only with the advent of modern industrial processes that polyunsaturated fats such as corn and soybean oils have been available for our consumption – though fish oils (a form of polyunsaturated animal fat) have historically been considered to be healthy.

Why You Should Eat Butter and Lard

Butter, as another example, has a far healthier composition as a saturated fat than the synthesized creations that are the various margarines. Being a combination of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats it is not as “stable” as margarine – that is, it will turn rancid (a form of turning “trans”) if not refrigerated. But then, who would eat rancid butter? It also contains a variety of health-giving vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.

Does anyone remember the jar of bacon grease that was a fixture in every kitchen before the days of “spray-on” cooking oils, non-stick fry pans and fat-phobia? My mother carefully saved the grease from the morning bacon, and it was used to cook all sorts of wonderful things, from our morning eggs to delectable entrees and even desserts. We keep a jar of bacon grease in our own kitchen – it is far healthier than the canola oil and soy lecithin and “propellants” (your guess?) that are in our can of “no stick cooking spray.”

Then there is our obsession with “vegetable oils” as found in the aforementioned Crisco shortening. It is interesting to note that Proctor and Gamble, perhaps seeing the writing on the wall, or perhaps in a belated fit of conscience, has sold off the Crisco name and product. This “all vegetable oil” creation, once made from cottonseed oil, is now made from canola oil which must be hydrogenated (as was the cottonseed oil) to make it semi-solid. Smuckers, the new owners of Crisco, claims “Our entire line of Crisco Shortening products have been reformulated to contain zero grams trans fat per serving”. Can anyone reading this remember the days when lard was used? All-natural, no-trans-fat lard that made such wonderfully fluffy pastries and flaky pie crusts? Do we really think that humans are well-equipped to consume the kinds of oils that require bushels of rape seed or corn or soybeans per gallon to produce? Any more than we might be equipped to consume petroleum oils – no matter how they are “modified”?

Just like our handsome young man who made it his life’s mission to vilify healthful fats, we live in a fairy-tale world where we are led to believe that with a little help from chemistry and science we can fool mother nature into allowing us to consume “food products” that our bodies were never intended to have to deal with. Unfortunately, life in that fairy tale world is having very real and very serious consequences for Americans and people around the world who are buying into the anti-sat-fat fantasy being promoted by the vegetable oils industry. We are gambling our health and our lives and our future on a grand industrial experiment, and it is paying off with increasing rates of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, and more.

At the beginning of the last century, most of the fats in our forefathers diet were either saturated or monounsaturated, mostly from butter, lard, tallow, coconut oil and small amounts of olive oil. Today most of the fats in our diet are polyunsaturated from vegetable oils mostly from soy, as well as from corn, safflower and canola. Before 1920 coronary heart disease was a rarity in America, causing no more than 10% of all deaths. Today heart disease accounts for at least 40% of all deaths. Is there a connection? We believe there is, and a growing body of scientists, researchers, and health care professionals is beginning to stand up to the politically correct diet dogma that is dictating low fat diets and vegetable fats instead of animal or tropical fats. For a historically interesting end to this article we go back to 1956 when Dr. Dudley White, in a television interview, noted that heart disease in the form of myocardial infarction (heart attack) was almost nonexistent in 1900 when egg consumption was three times what it was in 1956 and when corn oil was unavailable. When pressed to support the low-fat, vegetable oil based “Prudent Diet”, Dr. White replied: “See here, I began my practice as a cardiologist in 1921 and I never saw an MI patent until 1928. Back in the MI free days before 1920, the fats were butter and lard and I think that we would all benefit from the kind of diet that we had at a time when no one had ever heard the word corn oil.”

Former surgeon general Dr. C. Everett Koop even said, during congressional hearings in 1988: “the coconut scare is foolishness. . . To get the word to commercial interests terrorizing the public about nothing is another matter.” Could it be that it is time to turn away from the dangerous designer oils and fats of Big Industry and return to the animal and tropical fats that served our ancestors so well? We think it is!

Finally, let’s look briefly at this current medical fad that demands that we reduce cholesterol levels in our bloodstream to the lowest possible levels. Remember, cholesterol is essential to life; so essential that your liver will make it “de novo” – from new – if your body senses that it doesn’t have enough of this precious material. Even conventional medicine, in the form of The Framingham Report – the oldest, longest, and biggest study into heart disease in history – determined that when total serum cholesterol is reduced below 160 the risk of heart disease actually increases. Even more interestingly, the Director of The Framingham Study, Dr. William Castelli said in the July 1992 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine “At Framingham, we found that the people who ate the most saturated fat, the most cholesterol and the most calories weighed the least, were more physically active and had the lowest serum cholesterol levels.” We can only imagine the dismay that this information must have cause for Philip Sokolof; he must have been aware of it as it was published over a decade before his death. Nevertheless, Sokolof persisted in his efforts to vilify saturated fats and remove cholesterol from the American diet and we can only guess as to why he would continue these efforts in the face of research showing them to be wrong, even harmful. Was he simply too stubborn to accept the facts that proved him wrong, or was he too fully caught up in the whirlwind of Big Politics, Big Industry, Big Agriculture, and Big Pharmacy to be able to change? We’ll never know…

References
1.) Sokolof article http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/11/26/health/main585849.shtml
2.) Sokolof death http://www.blogofdeath.com/archives/000902.html
3.) D Groom, “Population Studies of Atherosclerosis,” Annals of Int Med , July 1961, 55:1:51-62; W F Enos, et al, “Pathogenesis of Coronary Disease in American Soldiers Killed in Korea,” JAMA , 1955, 158:912
4.) “Hydrogenated vegetable oils might be the underlying cause of the CAD epidemic”
A Keys, “Diet and Development of Coronary Heart Disease,” J Chron Dis, Oct 1956, 4(4):364-380
5.) Excerpt from “The Coconut Diet: The Secret Ingredient That Helps You Lose Weight While You Eat Your Favorite Foods” by Cherie Calbom http://www.enotalone.com/article/3242.html
6.) http://easydiagnosis.com/articles/oiling.html “The Oiling of America” by Enig and Fallon – many rerferences following this 4 part series.
7.) http://www.westonaprice.org/knowyourfats/skinny.html#lipid
The Weston A Price Society Enig & Fallon article “The Skinny on Fats”
8.) Framingham Study reports re: total cholesterol <160:
“There is a direct association between falling cholesterol levels over the first 14 years and mortality over the following 18 years” (11% overall and 14% CVD death rate increase per 1 mg/dL per year drop in cholesterol levels). Anderson KM JAMA 1987
9.) The Honolulu Heart Study:
“Our data accord with previous findings of increased mortality in elderly people with low serum cholesterol, and show that long-term persistence of low cholesterol concentration actually increases the risk of death. Thus, the earlier that patients start to have lower cholesterol concentrations, the greater the risk of death.” Lancet Aug 2001.

 

HealthBeat News

In This Issue:

7 Simple Ways to Decrease Your Cancer Risk. Modern science knows a lot about what causes cancer. Here are seven proven measures you can take to greatly decrease your risk.

Six- Month Study Shows Low-Carb Diet is More Effective Than Low-Fat Diet for Weight Loss. Reported April 29 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

Websites Worth Knowing. Both excellent AND foolish health websites abound on the Internet. Here are some of the top health and wellness websites you should know.

7 Simple Ways to Decrease Your Cancer Risk

Modern medical science knows a lot about the causes of cancer — more, in fact, than we know about its cure. “Carcinogens,” or factors that cause cancer, abound in the environment. Here are some of the leading causes of cancer that you can easily avoid to protect yourself from this disease:

    1. Environmental exposure: cancer-causing agents are all around us; some a man-made, some naturally occurring. Evaluate your surroundings for these known cancer-causing substances:
      A.) Radon: a naturally occurring, odorless gas that comes out of the ground and can infiltrate a house through the basement. If you have a basement in your home, inexpensive tests will tell you if your level is above 4 picocuries per liter (the minimum safe level). Correction is as easy as ensuring adequate ventilation. Radon causes lung cancer.
      B.) Asbestos: Homes built before 1980 may have asbestos insulation. Either leave it alone or have it removed by a qualified contractor. Asbestos causes lung cancer.
      C.) Workplace hazards: If you work with chemicals, including construction materials (paints, thinners, etc.), be sure to wear protective masks, gloves and other clothing. If you are unsure of your exposure, find out what chemicals you are handling and take appropriate precautions.
    2. Water. I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again: water is a common source of carcinogens and other disease-causing contaminants. Check your water report yearly. If you use city-supplied water, ask for a water report that will be provided for free. If you use well water, have your water tested annually. Go to www.epa.gov/safewater/faq/sco.html to find a local lab for water testing. This service is inexpensive and well (!) worth the cost!
    3. Don’t smoke! (Or chew). Cigarette smoke is associated with a LONG list of diseases, including bladder, bowel, pancreatic, cervical and uterine cancer— oh yes, and lung cancer. (See page 26 of your Holistic Health Handbook for a complete list of problems caused by exposure to tobacco smoke. Even second-hand smoke increases these risks. Stop smoking and avoid breathing second-hand smoke.
    4. Limit sun exposure. A little sunshine is a good thing because sunlight causes natural production of vitamin D in the body. It also serves to normalize endocrine function. Too much, however, is highly associated with skin cancer, including deadly melanoma. Use a sunscreen of SPF15-30 when you are outdoors for more than 20 minutes in bright light, and use even on cloudy days and burning rays still filter through clouds. Do NOT let yourself burn and don’t aim for a “god/goddess-like” suntan!
    5. Maintain a normal weight. Statistics released April 2003 by the American Cancer Society estimate that at least 90,000 cancer deaths annually are attributable to overweight and obesity.
    6. Take nutritional supplements. Numerous nutrient deficiencies are associated with increased cancer risk, including vitamins A,C,D,E, beta carotene, B-1, B-2, B-6, B-12, calcium, zinc, and selenium. Since it is difficult if not impossible to obtain optimal levels of these nutrients from food, be sure to take an optimal-potency multiple vitamin/mineral supplement daily. (I recommend our Wellness Club brand, Maxi Multi, because it contains all these essential nutrients in optimal doses. Please refer to your Holistic Health Handbook or visit us online at for more information.
    7. Eat “Super Foods.” Some foods are especially high in cancer-preventing nutrients. Be sure to include as many servings of these foods daily as you can muster! “Super Foods” include: cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, brussel sprouts), garlic and onions, soy beans and soy products, flax seed (ground to a “meal”), salmon, shiitake mushrooms, lemon (especially “lemon zest,” the rind), and green tea.

Low-Carb Diet is More Effective Than Low-Fat Diet

A sixth-month study, reported in the April 29th in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, showed that women on a low-carbohydrate diet lost more weight than those on a low-fat diet even though calorie intake was similar. The low-carb group lost more weight and more body fat during the trial. No differences were noted in cholesterol, triglyceride, and insulin levels between the two groups. In other words, a low carb diet which was presumably higher in fat and cholesterol did NOT adversely affect cholesterol or other levels as some arm-chair critics have hypothesized it might.

Health Websites Worth Knowing.

Beware of many non-informative and downright incorrect health websites. Some sites appear to be government-sponsored or service-related and yet are either a waste of time, dangerous, or both. Here are some of the best health and wellness websites you should know:

www.webmd.com easy to look up disease facts, recent studies, recipes, charts, and recently published medical studies.

www.nhlisupport.com/bmi this site has an automatic calculator for Body Mass Index (BMI). Find out if you are at your healthiest weight. Also discusses the relationship of overweight to heart attack and stroke.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi More than 9 million scientific studies are published here. This is the largest database of published medical research in the world.

www.healthfinder.gov the government’s fast entry to lots of useful information. Includes diseases, screening/diagnosis, prevention, and treatment.

www.drmyattswellnessclub.com Oh, come on! You knew I had to say it! We’re one of the most authoritative holistic health websites on the ‘Net.

 

Holistic Medical Tests

Laboratory Tests

The following lab evaluations are not yet routinely used in standard (conventional) medicine. Therefore, they will probably not be ordered by your conventional physician. (It is against the law for physicians to order any test that is not a “standard” conventional test). If your local physician will not order these tests, you may still order them directly from The Wellness Club.

We do not bill or participate in insurance or Medicare. If you plan to submit to your insurance or Medicare, please have your local physician submit a completed claim form including UPIN number, name, address, phone number, prescription and diagnosis code.

All lab fees must be paid in advance. A specimen collection kit, instructions and mailer will be sent to you for each test at the time of your order. A copy of test results will be mailed to you. Wellness Club Members enjoy a 10% discount on all products and medical tests. Join the Wellness Club today and save on your medical testing.

Important Ordering Information: Tests marked (sorry – not available in New York state) ARE NOT AVAILABLE IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK. These are not our rules – but the rules of the state of New York. The lab will not process any test that was collected in the state of New York or that has a New York address on the lab form!

NOTE: Interpretation of laboratory data is best done in conjunction with a physician. We therefore recommend that you Consult with Dr. Myatt or your local physician for evaluation of lab results. Keep in mind that conventionally-trained physicians may not be familiar with the use and interpretation of these tests.

Please Find Blood Draw Tests Here

Holistic Medical Test Menu

Adrenal Stress Index (sorry – not available in New York state)

Bone Health Marker – urine (sorry – not available in New York state)

NEW! Candida Antibodies (IgG, IgA, IgM, Candida antigen) – fingerstick (sorry – not available in New York state)

Celiac / Gluten-Gliaden Sensitivity Panel

Comprehensive Plus Hormone Profile men and women – urine

NEW! Comprehensive Plus Hormone Profile with HGH men, women – urine

Female Hormone Profile (Pre-menopausal) – saliva (sorry – not available in New York state)

Female Hormone Profile (Post-menopausal) – saliva (sorry – not available in New York state)

4 – Food Intolerance Profile

Food Intolerance Profile

Gastric Acid Self-Test

Gastro-Intestinal (GI) Health Profile with Parasitology (sorry – not available in New York state)

Gluten/Casein Peptides Test (sorry – not available in New York state)

Hair Mineral Analysis

NEW! Heavy Metal / Urine Chelation Test – 6-hour urine specimen

Iodine – (“Spot” and 24-hour loading) – urine; NOW includes bromide and flouride

Liver (Hepatic) Detoxification Profile

Male Hormone Profile – saliva (sorry – not available in New York state)

Neurotransmitter Profile

Stool Candida Test (sorry – not available in New York state)

Thyroid Hormone Profile (sorry – not available in New York state or California)

Vitamin D Test


ADRENAL STRESS INDEX

This test uses saliva samples to evaluate the “stress hormones” that are also associated with accelerated aging. The panel evaluates cortisol ( X 4), DHEA and DHEA-S, Total secretory IgA, Gluten Antibody, insulin (x 2) and 17-OH Progesterone.

This test is indicated for suspected adrenal fatigue, overweight and as part of an anti-aging program.

ADRENAL STRESS INDEX #988 $198.00

(sorry – not available in New York state)


BONE HEALTH MARKERS TEST

Urine and saliva specimens measures rate of bone mineral loss and associated hormones by looking at a breakdown product of bone (DpD). This test also includes hormones DHEA and DHEA-S, estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol (x 2) and FSH (follicular stimulating hormones).

This is an excellent test for monitoring osteoporosis treatment and prevention in both men and women. It gives faster “feedback” about the efficacy of treatment than waiting a year to verify treatment by using a bone density scan. Collect samples in the privacy of home and mail in with a pre-paid mailer.

BONE MARKER TEST #994 $197.00

(sorry – not available in New York state)


CANDIDA ANTIBODIES

Low-level overgrowth of Candida yeast species can cause a wide variety of health problems, but yeast may not be found in a stool specimen. This is because the yeast may have invaded elsewhere in the body, such as in the urinary tract, sinus passages, vagina or elsewhere.

This test uses a drop of blood to evaluate for an immune system reaction to Candida. It assesses IgG, IgA, IgM immunoglobulins to yeast as well as Candida antigen. A positive finding indicates past or present Candida infection and may allow Candida yeast reactions to be found when stool and vaginal specimens are negative or inconclusive.

CANDIDA ANTIBODIES (IgG, IgA, IgM and Candida Antigen) $169

(sorry – not available in New York state)


Celiac Antibody Panel

Celiac disease (CD), also known as gluten-sensitive enteropathy or idiopathic sprue, is an hereditary response to gliadin, a protein fraction in wheat. Gluten sensitivity is a non-hereditary response to gluten and shares some similarity of symptoms with celiac disease. Anyone with IBS, chronic diarrhea, gas or other digestive abnormalities of unknown cause should be evaluated for gluten allergy/sensitivity since the condition is far more common than previously thought.

The Celiac Antibody Panel uses drops of blood obtained from finger-stick and the specimen is collected at home and mailed directly to the lab. The test evaluates anti-tissue transglutaminase IgA and immunoglobulins IgG and IgA specific for gliadin. It is considered highly accurate for diagnosing celiac disease and shows gluten sensitivity approximately 50% of the time.

Celiac / Gluten-Gliaden Sensitivity Panel – $175


COMPREHENSIVE PLUS HORMONE PROFILE

The CompPlus is one of the most complete, accurate and advanced hormone profiles for both men and women. This test is the “Gold Standard” for balancing male and female sex hormones, adrenal and thyroid hormones. It also includes the 2/16α EQ (estrogen quotient) ratio, an important and modifiable predictor of hormone-related cancer risk.

Why is 24-hour urine testing the “Gold Standard” of hormone evaluation? Sex hormones are released in “pulsed doses” throughout the 24-hour period. Single blood tests can be high or low depending on where in this cycle they occur. They are the least accurate of hormone tests. Saliva is the next best, because saliva represents some degree of “averaging” of the total sex hormones. However, various physical conditions can alter the concentration of hormones in saliva and decrease the accuracy of the test. 24-hour urine testing collects the “peaks and valleys” of hormone release and averages it. This gives an extremely accurate profile of the daily amount of hormones release.

This test also looks at adrenal hormones (which factor into sex hormone production because the adrenals make sex hormones) and the estrogen quotient, a potent risk factor (that can be modified) for hormone-related cancers.

Using a 24-hour urine specimen, the CompPlus evaluates the following:
Estrogens – estrone, estradiol, estriol, 2-hydroxyestrone, 16α-hydroxyestrone, 4-hydroxyestrone, 2-methoxyestrone, 2-methoxyestradiol,
Progesterone – pregnanediol (progesterone metabolite),
Androgens – DHEA, testosterone,
5α -androstanediol, 5β-androstanediol, androsterone, eticholanolone, cortisone, cortisol,
Glucocorticoids
(adrenal hormones) pregnanetriol, tetrahydrocortisone, allo-tetrahydrocortisol, tetraqhydrocortisol, 11β-hydroxyandrosterone, 11β-hydroxyetiocholanolone,
Mineralocorticoids (adrenal hormones) aldosterone, allo-tetrahydrocorticosterone, tetrahydrocorticosterone, 11-dehydrotetrahydrocorticosterone,
Thyroid hormones – free T3, free T4
EQ
– 2/16α estrogen quotient (EQ) ratio

One of the most important tests for anti-aging, longevity and cancer prevention protocols. Also the best test for female menopause / male andropause – related symptoms.

CompPLUS HORMONE PROFILE with 2/16 EQ $429.00

NEW! CompPLUS HORMONE PROFILE with 2/16 EQand HGH $499.00

The ultimate anti-aging / longevity hormone profile. Same as the CompPlus (above) with Human Growth Hormone (HGH) added.


FEMALE HORMONE PROFILE (POST-MENOPAUSAL)

This panel uses multiple urine samples to measure estriol, estrone, estradiol, progesterone, DHEA, DHEA-S and testosterone in post-menopausal females. See an example of the test results here. The samples are collected on test-strips, a very simple and easy collection method.

I do not use blood tests to measure hormones because they are not particularly accurate. Sex hormones are released in “pulses” over a 24 hour period but a blood test only takes a “snapshot” of what is happening at the moment the blood is drawn. By taking multiple specimens over the course of a day, including the highs and lows, a more accurate picture is obtained.

FEMALE HORMONE PROFILE POST-MENOPAUSAL #991 $250.00

(sorry – not available in New York state)


FEMALE HORMONE PROFILE (PRE-MENOPAUSAL)

This panel uses saliva samples to measure free estradiol, progesterone, DHEA, testosterone, FHS and LH in pre-menopausal females, following hormone levels throughout the monthly cycle. The test requires 11 saliva samples taken over one complete female cycle.

Dr. Myatt’s comment: Useful in discovering hormone imbalances related to infertility, PMS, irregular cycles, polycystic ovary disease, endometriosis, fibroids and to determine overall sex hormone levels consistent with peri-menopause.

Click here to download an informational brochure on the Pre-menopausal Female Hormone Profile

FEMALE HORMONE PROFILE (PRE-MENOPAUSAL) #989 $479.00

(sorry – not available in New York state)


4 – FOOD INTOLERANCE PANEL

Uses saliva to test for sensitivities to cow’s milk, eggs, soy and gluten.Collect the saliva speciment at home and send it in to the lab in the pre-paid mailer. Results include salivary IgA antibody’s to these four common food allergens.

4 – FOOD INTOLERANCE PANEL #N379 – $97.00


FOOD INTOLERANCE PANEL

Food allergies are a common, undiagnosed cause of many health problems. This test screens for antibodies against 96 different foods commonly found in a typical American diet. (95 foods in the vegetarian panel). The test provides the same clinical results that can be obtained from a local laboratory without the added expense and inconvenience because you collect the blood specimen yourself using a simple finger-stick method.

The kit includes all collection materials and the means to ship the specimen to the lab free of charge. Results are provided within 10-14 days from the time the test was received at the lab. Each patient report comes complete with a customized 4-Day Elimination/Rotation Diet Guideline and an easy-to-read food family booklet.

Due to state regulations, this test is not available to New York and New Jersey residents.

GENERAL FOOD INTOLERANCE PANEL #985 $265.00

VEGETARIAN FOOD INTOLERANCE PANEL #987 $276.00


GASTRIC ACID FUNCTION SELF-TEST

This kit contains everything you need to perform a simple “self-test” of your stomach acid function. Kit includes easy-to-understand instructions, a symptom check list, explanation of the “low stomach acid” problem, a packet of 10 hydrochloric acid capsules (HCL) and 6 Alka-Aid tablets necessary to perform the test. This kit contains enough HCL to test one person. Order additional packets of HCl if more than one person will be performing the test.

GASTRIC ACID FUNCTION SELF-TEST KIT #980 $29.95

NOTE: Due to the nature of the HCL and Alka Aid packets, this test cannot be returned.

Additional HCL CAPSULES 10 CAP Packet (for self-test) #255 $4.95

Please Note: This test is completed in the comfort and privacy of your own home. This test does not involve the collection of any blood or other samples and does not involve swallowing any testing devices. Full, detailed instructions are included with the test. The knowledge you will obtain from the instructions will allow you to repeat the test as often as you wish.

Read more about Gastric Acid function and about the problems that Gastric Acid Deficiency can cause along with more information about the Gastric Acid Function Self-Test here.


Comprehensive Gastro-Intestinal (GI) Health Profile with Parasitology

This test uses 3 stool and 2 saliva specimens to evaluate for: yeast/fungus, parasites (C. difficile toxins, Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Ameba histolytica, Tapeworm, Roundworm, Toxoplasma, Trichinella), pathogenic bacteria, H. Pylori, Clostridium dificile antigen, digestive function (chymotrypsin), occult blood (hidden GI bleeding), anti-Chymotrypsin (intestine inflammation marker) and lysozyme (colon inflammation marker).

This profile provides a complete assessment of gut function and often identifies problems overlooked by conventional intestinal tests such as barium studies and endoscopy. A useful tool in any chronic GI complaint (IBS, GERD) and in systemic disease (cancer, autoimmune, chronic respiratory infections, etc.).

Immune globulins (IgA) to cow’s milk, soy and egg are also evaluated.

Comprehensive GI Health Profile with Parasitology GI-2 #984 $429.00

(sorry – not available in New York state)


Gluten/Casein Peptides Test

The Gluten/Casein Peptides Test

An inability to completely digest gluten (found in wheat, rye barley and oats) and/or casein found in milk can result in the production of neuropeptides which are chemically similar to morphine.

These peptides, called gliadorphin and casomorphin, can have opiod effects in the body and brain.

This test requires a small amount of first morning urine to evaluate for both gluten and casein peptides.

Gluten/Casein Peptides Test #N365 $129.00

(sorry – not available in New York state)


HAIR MINERAL ANALYSIS

Hair mineral analysis is an accurate, inexpensive test for heavy and toxic metals in the system. It is less reliable for nutritional minerals and the results must be evaluated in context.

Test requires 1 Tablespoon of hair, preferably from nape of neck. A measuring device and instructions are included with the collection kit.

HAIR MINERAL ANALYSIS #990 $72.00


Heavy Metal / Urine Chelation Test.

The most accurate test for heavy metals in the body.

Heavy metals — including mercury, lead, cadmium, iron and arsenic — can be an overlooked cause of high blood pressure, neurological diseases and symptoms, chronic fatigue and other complaints for which there is no clear diagnosis.

Blood tests for heavy metals are virtually useless because the body clears toxic metals from the bloodstream very rapidly and stores them in tissues such as bone and metabolically active tissues where they will cause less damage.

Hair mineral analysis for heavy metals is more accurate than blood testing but is subject to “false negatives.” If one or more metals are found to be high based on a hair mineral analysis, there is definitely a toxic mineral problem. But if the hair test comes back negative, that doesn’t prove that you’re free from heavy metal toxicity. The metal can be stored in other tissues in the body, not the hair.

The best test for the presence of heavy metals is a chelation test. This test uses a “chelating agent” (EDTA, DMSA) to pull metals out of storage sites where they are then eliminated in the urine. Older versions of the test required in-office IV chelation prior to testing.

Fortunately, there is a newer oral chelation challenge / urine test that many holistic physicians feel is just as accurate as IV chelation testing, at a fraction of the cost and inconvenience.

The test entails fasting for several hours, then taking an oral chelating agent called DMSA (Dimercaptosuccinic Acid), a potent chelating agent. The urine is then collected for the next 6 hours and a send a sample of this to the lab in a pre-paid mailer.

This test kit includes DMSA sufficient to complete the test

Heavy Metal / Urine Chelation Test # N267 $279


COMPREHENSIVE IODINE with bromide and flouride

Iodine, an essential trace nutrient, is a common deficiency in the American diet. Learn more about the importance of iodine here.

This test includes a “spot test” which evaluates current levels of iodine in the body, plus a 24-hour loading test which evaluates whole body sufficiency following a dose of 50mg of iodine. This test now includes bromide and flouride, a mineral which can interfere with the absorption of iodine AND give a “false normal” iodine reading.

COMPREHENSIVE IODINE $175.00


Liver (Hepatic) Detoxification Profile

The liver processes toxins, drugs and even components of food in a two-step enzymatic process. If either of these “Phase I” or “Phase II” liver enzymes are out of sync, toxins can be rendered more toxic and remain in the body longer.

This simple urine test (a single collection of first-morning urine) shows:

  • The status of phase I and phase II detoxification enzymes
  • Assessment of chemical exposure and impaired liver function

This test is also a reliable marker for exposure to toxic chemicals as seen in the D-glucaric acid levels.

Liver (Hepatic) Detoxification Profile – #N348 – $218


MALE HORMONE PROFILE

This test uses a saliva sample to measure e DHEA, DHEA-S, testosterone, Dihydrotestosterone (DHT), androstenedione, estrone and progesterone in males.

Dr. Myatt’s comment: Especially valuable for tailoring anti-aging hormone replacement therapy. Men can suffer bone loss, depression, loss of libido and other “menopausal” symptoms due to declining sex hormones.

Please NOTE: this test is best used by men who have NOT been on hormone replacement or suppression therapy, not as a follow-up to therapy. The Comp. Plus Hormone Profile is much more accurate and provides “preventive” information like the androgen ratios and intermediates for prostate cancer prevention and treatment which the saliva test does not. I highly recommend the Comp Plus Profile over the saliva testing. — Dr. Myatt

MALE HORMONE PROFILE #993 $154.00

(sorry – not available in New York state)


NEUROTRANSMITTER PROFILE

This test uses a urine sample to evaluate serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, epinephrine (adrenaline).

Neurotransmitter testing is indicated in attention deficit disorders, memory problems, depression, anxiety, low energy, migraine, addictions (alcohol, tobacco, food), PMS, PTSD, IBS, high blood pressure and neurological conditions and diseases.

Currently Not Available


STOOL CANDIDA TEST

This test uses a stool specimen to evaluation for yeast (Candida) overgrowth in the large intestine (LI). It evaluates the gut for both amount of yeast (an overgrowth represents Candidiasis) and species so that correct treatment can be initiated.

CS1 STOOL CANDIDA TEST #983 $89.00

(sorry – not available in New York state)


Thyroid Hormone Profile

Thyroid function tests that you can collect at home — no blood draw needed!

This test uses blood from a simple finger stick. Collect the specimen yourself and mail to the lab in the pre-paid mailer. Tests include TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone), free T3, free T4 and TPO (thyroid peroxidase).

These are the basic tests that Dr. Myatt recommends for a thorough evaluation of thyroid function.

N346 – Thyroid Hormone Profile –  $276

(sorry – not available in New York state or California)


VITAMIN D

Low levels of vitamin D are emerging as an important risk factor for immune function, cardiovascular health, cancer prevention and more.

Vitamin D, 25-OH, Total (Blood Spot) – uses a FINGER STICK blood spot test that you collect at home – $120

HealthBeat News

In This Issue:

Ten Proven Reasons to take a Good Multiple Vitamin Still think taking your daily Maxi Multi or other optimal-dose vitamin/mineral supplement is a waste of time? See ten recent medical “findings” that should convince you that your multiple is very worthwhile “insurance.” PLUS, be sure to read BOGUS Science to learn about the most recent media/medical “health scam.”

Omega-3: Facts about Flax and Fish You asked for it, you got it! Find out the many benefits of Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids from flax and fish. These are two Super-Foods you’ll definitely want to know about!

Member News and Notes
BOGUS Science
Recent “health breakthroughs” that aren’t, and find out this week’s biggest, highly-publicized downright lie about nutritional supplements. A “must read” to protect yourself from bad science and “media spin.”

Upcoming topics: Keep those requests and questions coming! Future issues will detail male and female hormone replacement (natural methods), benefits of soy, and Big Fat Lies about dietary fat (this one will surprise the heck out of you!)

Ten Proven Reasons to take a Good Multiple Vitamin

While conventional medicine and newspaper headlines continue to tell us that nutritional supplementation isn’t important, the results of medical research shows just the opposite. Here are ten recent medical findings that should convince you to keep taking a high-quality, optimal potency multiple vitamin/mineral supplement. If you’re not sure what an “optimal potency” formula consists of or what you should be taking for your age and sex, refer to The Wellness Club web site’s nutritional supplementspage for an up-to-date ingredient list and optimal dose recommendations.

  1. Harvard researchers have found that sub-optimal levels of folic acid, vitamins B6 and B12 are a risk factor for heart disease and colon and breast cancers. (Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) June 19, 2002)
  2. A six-month study showing that folic acid, vitamin B12 and vitamin B6 helped prevent recurrence of blocked arteries in patients who have undergone coronary angioplasty. (Journal of the American Medical Association, August 28, 2002).
  3. Vitamin K is a critical nutrient for skeletal integrity, with evidence of vitamin K1 supplementation reducing bone loss in healthy postmenopausal women and a significant positive relationship between vitamin K status and indices of bone health in men. (24th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Bone and Mineral Research, September 20 – 24, 2002, San Antonio, Texas)
  4. Alzheimer’s disease: Association with zinc deficiency and cerebral vitamin B12 deficiency. (Journal of Orthol. Psychiatry (CANADA), 1984, 13/2 (97-104))
    Supplementation of the elderly with vitamin E has been shown to enhance immune response, delay onset of Alzheimer’s disease, and increase resistance to oxidative injury associated with exercise. (Proc Nutr Soc. 2002;61:165-171)
    Vitamin E intake
    , from foods or supplements, is associated with less cognitive decline with age. Arch Neurol. 2002;59:1125-1132
  5. Researchers at Cambridge University in England looked at serum vitamin C and how long people lived. People who had the lowest levels of vitamin C were twice as likely to die compared to those with the highest serum vitamin C levels. This study was based on the findings from over 19,000 people. (Lancet 2001; 357:657-63)
  6. 26.4% of esophageal and gastric cancers are attributable to low selenium levels. (Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Mark et al., 2000)
  7. Calcium supplementation is associated with a significant – though moderate – reduction in the risk of recurrent colorectal adenomas. The effect of calcium was independent of initial dietary fat and calcium intake. (N Engl J Med (United States) Jan 14 1999, 340 (2) p101-7.)
  8. Data from the Nurses’ Health Study conducted at the Harvard Medical School showed that long-term supplementation with folic acid reduces the risk of colon cancer by 75% in women! 90,000 women participated in the Nurses’ Health Study, making this and especially significant finding. The authors of this study explained that folic acid obtained from supplements had a stronger protective effect against colon cancer than folic acid consumed in the diet. (Annals of Internal Medicine (1998; 129:517-524)
  9. Regarding asthma, the lowest intakes of vitamin C and manganese (a trace mineral not to be confused with magnesium) were associated with more than five-fold increased risks of bronchial reactivity. Decreasing intakes of magnesium were also significantly associated with an increased risk of hyper-reactivity. (Thorax (United Kingdom), 1997, 52/2 (166-170)).
  10. Antioxidant supplements reduce the risk of cataract. One study in the evaluated 410 men for 3 years to ascertain the association between serum vitamin E and the development of cortical lens opacities (cataracts). The men with the lowest level of serum vitamin E had a 3.7 times greater risk of this form of cataract compared to men with the highest serum level of vitamin E. (American Journal of Epidemiology Sept. 1996)
  11. Encouraging moderate exercise and dietary supplementation with calcium and vitamin D… are the major nonpharmacological management measures used to prevent and treat osteoporosis. (Drugs and Aging (New Zealand), 1996, 9/6 (472-477)
  12. Nutrient intake of patients with rheumatoid arthritis is deficient in pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), zinc, copper, and magnesium. (Journal of Rheumatology (Canada), 1996, 23/6 (990-994))

More Research Supporting Benefits of Antioxidants

By Allen S. Josephs, M.D.
President, Vitacost.com

Recent studies further support the need for antioxidants and other nutrients to protect against cell damage, and in some cases even reduce risks of certain forms of cancer. One medical study had very promising results when participants were given a daily dose of vitamin C, vitamin E, beta carotene and selenium. Most multivitamins on the market do not qualify as good because they lack so many important antioxidants and/or use inadequate levels and forms.”

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Also Known As: Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)

——————————————————————————–

Overview

Omega-3 fatty acids are considered essential fatty acids, which means that they are essential to human health but cannot be manufactured by the body. For this reason, omega-3 fatty acids must be obtained from food. Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in fish and certain plant oils. It is important to maintain an appropriate balance of omega-3 and omega-6 (another essential fatty acid) in the diet as these two substances work together to promote health. Also known as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids play a crucial role in brain function as well as normal growth and development.

There are three major types of omega 3 fatty acids that are ingested in foods and used by the body: alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Once eaten, the body converts ALA to EPA and DHA, the two types of omega-3 fatty acids more readily used by the body. Extensive research indicates that omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and help prevent certain chronic diseases such as heart disease and arthritis. These essential fatty acids are highly concentrated in the brain and appear to be particularly important for cognitive and behavioral function. In fact, infants who do not get enough omega-3 fatty acids from their mothers during pregnancy are at risk for developing vision and nerve problems.

As mentioned previously, it is very important to maintain a balance between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in the diet. Omega-3 fatty acids help reduce inflammation and most omega-6 fatty acids tend to promote inflammation. An inappropriate balance of these essential fatty acids contributes to the development of disease while a proper balance helps maintain and even improve health. A healthy diet should consist of roughly one to four times more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids. The typical American diet tends to contain 11 to 30 times more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids and many researchers believe this imbalance is a significant factor in the rising rate of inflammatory disorders in the United States.

——————————————————————————–

Uses

Studies suggest that omega-3 fatty acids may be helpful in treating a variety of conditions. The evidence is strongest for heart disease and problems that contribute to heart disease, but the range of possible uses for omega-3 fatty acids include:

High Cholesterol

Those who follow a Mediterranean-style diet tend to have higher HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels. Similar to those who follow a Mediterranean diet, Inuit Eskimos, who consume high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids from fatty fish, also tend to have increased HDL cholesterol and decreased triglycerides (fatty material that circulates in the blood). In addition, fish oil supplements containing EPA and DHA have been shown to reduce LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and triglycerides. Finally, walnuts (which are rich in ALA) have been shown to lower total cholesterol and triglycerides in people with high cholesterol.

High Blood Pressure

Several studies suggest that diets and/or supplements rich in omega-3 fatty acids lower blood pressure significantly in people with hypertension. Fish high in mercury (such as tuna) should be avoided, however, because they may increase blood pressure.

Heart Disease

One of the best ways to help prevent and treat heart disease is to eat a low-fat diet and to replace foods rich in saturated and trans-fat with those that are rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (including omega-3 fatty acids). Evidence suggests that EPA and DHA found in fish oil help reduce risk factors for heart disease including high cholesterol and high blood pressure. There is also strong evidence that these substances can help prevent and treat atherosclerosis by inhibiting the development of plaque and blood clots, each of which tends to clog arteries. Studies of heart attack survivors have found that daily omega-3 fatty acid supplements dramatically reduce the risk of death, subsequent heart attacks, and stroke. Similarly, people who eat an ALA-rich diet are less likely to suffer a fatal heart attack.

Stroke

Strong evidence from population-based studies suggests that omega-3 fatty acid intake (primarily from fish), helps protect against stroke caused by plaque buildup and blood clots in the arteries that lead to the brain. In fact, eating at least two servings of fish per week can reduce the risk of stroke by as much as 50%. However, people who eat more than three grams of omega-3 fatty acids per day (equivalent to 3 servings of fish per day) may be at an increased risk for hemorrhagic stroke, a potentially fatal type of stroke in which an artery in the brain leaks or ruptures.

Diabetes

People with diabetes tend to have high triglyceride and low HDL levels. Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil can help lower triglycerides and raise HDL, so people with diabetes may benefit from eating foods or taking supplements that contain DHA and EPA. ALA (from flaxseed, for example) may not have the same benefit as DHA and EPA because some people with diabetes lack the ability to efficiently convert ALA to a form of omega-3 fatty acids that the body can use readily.

Weight Loss

Many people who are overweight suffer from poor blood sugar control, diabetes, and high cholesterol. Studies suggest that overweight people who follow a weight loss program including exercise tend to achieve better control over their blood sugar and cholesterol levels when fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids (such as salmon, mackerel, and herring) is a staple in their low fat diet.

Arthritis

Most clinical studies investigating the use of omega-3 fatty acid supplements for inflammatory joint conditions have focused almost entirely on rheumatoid arthritis. Several articles reviewing the research in this area conclude that omega-3 fatty acid supplements reduce tenderness in joints, decrease morning stiffness, and allow for a reduction in the amount of medication needed for people with rheumatoid arthritis.

In addition, laboratory studies suggest that diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids (and low in omega-6 fatty acids) may benefit people with other inflammatory disorders, such as osteoarthritis. In fact, several test tube studies of cartilage-containing cells have found that omega-3 fatty acids decrease inflammation and reduce the activity of enzymes that destroy cartilage. Similarly, New Zealand green lipped mussel (Perna canaliculus), another potential source of omega-3 fatty acids, has been shown to reduce joint stiffness and pain, increase grip strength, and enhance walking pace in a small group of people with osteoarthritis. In some participants, symptoms worsened before they improved.

Osteoporosis

Studies suggest that omega-3 fatty acids such as EPA help increase levels of calcium in the body, deposit calcium in the bones, and improve bone strength. In addition, studies also suggest that people who are deficient in certain essential fatty acids (particularly EPA and gamma-linolenic acid [GLA], an omega-6 fatty acid) are more likely to suffer from bone loss than those with normal levels of these fatty acids. In a study of women over 65 with osteoporosis, those given EPA and GLA supplements experienced significantly less bone loss over three years than those who were given a placebo. Many of these women also experienced an increase in bone density.

Depression

People who do not get enough omega-3 fatty acids or do not maintain a healthy balance of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids in their diet may be at an increased risk for depression. The omega-3 fatty acids are important components of nerve cell membranes. They help nerve cells communicate with each other, which is an essential step in maintaining good mental health.

Levels of omega-3 fatty acids were found to be measurably low and the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids were particularly high in a study of patients hospitalized for depression. In a study of people with depression, those who ate a healthy diet consisting of fatty fish two to three times per week for 5 years experienced a significant reduction in feelings of depression and hostility.

Manic/Depression (Bipolar Disorder)

In a study of 30 people with bipolar disorder, those who were treated with EPA and DHA (in combination with their usual mood stabilizing medications) for four months experienced fewer mood swings and recurrence of either depression or mania than those who received placebo. A similar but larger study is currently underway at the University of California- Los Angeles School of Medicine.

Schizophrenia

Preliminary evidence suggests that people with schizophrenia experience an improvement in symptoms when given omega-3 fatty acids. However, a recent well-designed study concluded that EPA supplements are no better than placebo in improving symptoms of this condition. The conflicting results suggest that more research is needed before conclusions can be drawn about the benefit of omega-3 fatty acids for schizophrenia. Similar to diabetes, people with schizophrenia may not be able to convert ALA to EPA or DHA efficiently.

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Children with ADHD may have low levels of certain essential fatty acids (including EPA and DHA) in their bodies. In a study of nearly 100 boys, those with lower levels of omega-3 fatty acids demonstrated more learning and behavioral problems (such as temper tantrums and sleep disturbances) than boys with normal omega-3 fatty acid levels. In animal studies, low levels of omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to lower the concentration of certain brain chemicals (such as dopamine and serotonin) related to attention and motivation. Studies that examine the ability of omega-3 supplements to improve symptoms of ADHD are still needed. At this point in time, eating foods high in omega-3 fatty acids is a reasonable approach for someone with ADHD.

Eating Disorders

Studies suggest that men and women with anorexia nervosa have lower than optimal levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (including ALA and GLA). To prevent the complications associated with essential fatty acid deficiencies, some experts recommend that treatment programs for anorexia nervosa include PUFA-rich foods such as fish and organ meats (which include omega-6 fatty acids).

Burns

Essential fatty acids have been used to reduce inflammation and promote wound healing in burn victims. Animal research indicates that omega-3 fatty acids help promote a healthy balance of proteins in the body — protein balance is important for recovery after sustaining a burn. Further research is necessary to determine whether omega 3s benefit people in the same way.

Skin Disorders

In one study, 13 people with a particular sensitivity to the sun known as photodermatitis showed significantly less sensitivity to UV rays after taking fish oil supplements. Still, research indicates that topical sunscreens are much better at protecting the skin from damaging effects of the sun than omega-3 fatty acids. In another study of 40 people with psoriasis, those who were treated with medications and EPA supplements did better than those treated with the medications alone. In addition, many clinicians believe that flaxseed (which contains omega-3 fatty acids) is helpful for treating acne.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

When added to medication, such as sulfasalazine (a standard medication for IBD), omega-3 fatty acids may reduce symptoms of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis — the two types of IBD. More studies to investigate this preliminary finding are under way. In animals, it appears that ALA works better at decreasing bowel inflammation than EPA and DHA. Plus, fish oil supplements can cause side effects that are similar to symptoms of IBD (such as flatulence and diarrhea). Time-release preparations may help reduce these unwanted effects.

Asthma

Preliminary research suggests that omega-3 fatty acid supplements (in the form of perilla seed oil, which is rich in ALA) may decrease inflammation and improve lung function in adults with asthma. Omega-6 fatty acids have the opposite effect: they tend to increase inflammation and worsen respiratory function. In a small, well-designed study of 29 children with asthma, those who took fish oil supplements rich in EPA and DHA for 10 months had improvement in their symptoms compared to children who took a placebo pill.

Macular Degeneration

A questionnaire administered to more than 3,000 people over the age of 49 found that those who consumed more fish in their diet were less likely to have macular degeneration (a serious age-related eye condition that can progress to blindness) than those who consumed less fish. Similarly, a study comparing 350 people with macular degeneration to 500 without found that those with a healthy dietary balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and higher intake of fish in their diets were less likely to have this particular eye disorder. Another larger study confirms that EPA and DHA from fish, four or more times per week, may reduce the risk of developing macular degeneration. Notably, however, this same study suggests that ALA may actually increase the risk of this eye condition.

Menstrual Pain

In a study of nearly 200 Danish women, those with the highest dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids had the mildest symptoms during menstruation.

Colon Cancer

Consuming significant amounts of foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids appears to reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. For example, Eskimos, who tend to follow a high fat diet but eat significant amounts of fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, have a low rate of colorectal cancer. Animal studies and laboratory studies have found that omega-3 fatty acids prevent worsening of colon cancer while omega-6 fatty acids promote the growth of colon tumors. Daily consumption of EPA and DHA also appeared to slow or even reverse the progression of colon cancer in people with early stages of the disease.

However, in an animal study of rats with metastatic colon cancer (in other words, cancer that has spread to other parts of the body such as the liver), omega-3 fatty acids actually promoted the growth of cancer cells in the liver. Until more information is available, it is best for people with advanced stages of colorectal cancer to avoid omega-3 fatty acid supplements and diets rich in this substance.

Breast Cancer

Although not all experts agree, women who regularly consume foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids over many years may be less likely to develop breast cancer. In addition, the risk of dying from breast cancer may be significantly less for those who eat large quantities of omega-3 from fish and brown kelp seaweed (common in Japan). This is particularly true among women who substitute fish for meat. The balance between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids appears to play an important role in the development and growth of breast cancer. Further research is still needed to understand the effect that omega-3 fatty acids may have on the prevention or treatment of breast cancer. For example, several researchers speculate that omega-3 fatty acids in combination with other nutrients (namely, vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, selenium, and coenzyme Q10) may prove to be of particular value for preventing and treating breast cancer.

Prostate Cancer

Laboratory and animal studies indicate that omega-3 fatty acids (specifically, DHA and EPA) may inhibit the growth of prostate cancer. Similarly, population based studies of groups of men suggest that a low-fat diet with the addition of omega-3 fatty acids from fish or fish oil help prevent the development of prostate cancer. Like breast cancer, the balance of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids appears to be particularly important for reducing the risk of this condition. ALA, however, may not offer the same benefits as EPA and DHA. In fact, one recent study evaluating 67 men with prostate cancer found that they had higher levels of ALA compared to men without prostate cancer. More research in this area is needed.

Other

Although further research is needed, preliminary evidence suggests that omega-3 fatty acids may also prove helpful in protecting against certain infections and treating a variety of conditions including ulcers, migraine headaches, preterm labor, emphysema, psoriasis, glaucoma, Lyme disease, lupus, and panic attacks.

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Dietary Sources

Fish oils and plant oils are the primary dietary source of omega-3 fatty acids. Another potential source of omega-3 fatty acids is New Zealand green lipped mussels (Perna canaliculus),used for centuries by the Maories to promote good health. EPA and DHA are found in cold-water fish such as salmon, mackerel, halibut, sardines, and herring. ALA is found in flaxseeds & flaxseed oil. FISH and FLAX are the best sources. Other oils that contain significant amounts of Omega-3 are not recommended because they are also high in Omega-6. these include: canola (rapeseed) oil, soybeans, soybean oil, pumpkin seeds, pumpkin seed oil, purslane, perilla seed oil, walnuts, and walnut oil.

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Available Forms

In addition to the dietary sources described, EPA and DHA can be taken in the form of fish oil Capsules. Flaxseed, flaxseed oil, and fish oil should be kept refrigerated. Whole flaxseeds should be ground within 1 week of use to ensure maximum potency.

Be sure to buy omega-3 fatty acid supplements made by established companies who certify that their products are free of heavy metals such as mercury.

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How to Take It

Flaxseed

1 TBS. ground flax seed per day AND 1 TBS. flax oil per day OR 2 TBS. flax oil per day. (This corresponds to about 12 flax oil Capsules.

Flaxseed: 1 Tbsp two to three times per day or 2 to 4 tbsp one time per day. Grind before eating and take with lots of water.

EPA and DHA

The adequate daily intake of EPA and DHA for adults should be at least 220 mg of each per day. Two to three servings of fatty fish per week (roughly 1,250 mg EPA and DHA per day) are generally recommended to treat certain health conditions.

Fish oil supplements

3,000 to 4,000 mg standardized fish oils per day. (This amount corresponds to roughly 2 to 3 servings of fatty fish per week.)

Typically, a 1,000 mg fish oil Capsule has 180 mg EPA and 120 mg DHA

ALA

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Precautions

Because of the potential for side effects and interactions with medications, dietary supplements should be taken only under the supervision of a knowledgeable healthcare provider.

Omega-3 fatty acids should be used cautiously by people who bruise easily, have a bleeding disorder, or take blood-thinning medications because excessive amounts of omega-3 fatty acids may lead to bleeding. In fact, people who eat more than three grams of omega-3 fatty acids per day (equivalent to 3 servings of fish per day) may be at an increased risk for hemorrhagic stroke, a potentially fatal condition in which an artery in the brain leaks or ruptures.

Fish oil can cause flatulence and diarrhea. Time-release preparations may reduce these side effects, however.

People with either diabetes or schizophrenia may lack the ability to convert ALA to EPA and DHA, the forms more readily used in the body. Therefore, people with these conditions should obtain their omega-3 fatty acids from dietary sources rich in EPA and DHA.

Although studies have found that regular consumption of fish (which includes the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA) may reduce the risk of macular degeneration, a recent study including two large groups of men and women found that diets rich in ALA may substantially increase the risk of this disease. More research is needed in this area. Until this information becomes available, it is best for people with macular degeneration to obtain omega-3 fatty acids from sources of EPA and DHA, rather than ALA.

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Possible Interactions

If you are currently being treated with any of the following medications, you should not use omega-3 fatty acid supplements without first talking to your healthcare provider.

Blood-thinning Medications

Omega-3 fatty acids may increase the blood-thinning effects of aspirin or warfarin. While the combination of aspirin and omega-3 fatty acids may actually be helpful under certain circumstances (such as heart disease), they should only be taken together under the guidance and supervision of your healthcare provider.

Cyclosporine

Taking omega-3 fatty acids during cyclosporine therapy may reduce toxic side effects (such as high blood pressure and kidney damage) associated with this medication in transplant patients.

Etretinate and Topical Steroids

The addition of omega-3 fatty acids (specifically EPA) to a drug regimen of etretinate and topical corticosteroids may improve symptoms of psoriasis.

Cholesterol-lowering Medications

Following certain nutritional guidelines, including increasing the amount of omega-3 fatty acids in your diet and reducing the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio, may allow a group of cholesterol lowering medications known as “statins” (such as atorvastatin, lovastatin, and simvastatin) to work more effectively.

Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)

In an animal study, treatment with omega-3 fatty acids reduced the risk of ulcers from nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). More research is needed to evaluate whether omega-3 fatty acids would have the same effects in people.

Copyright © 2002 A.D.A.M., Inc

Member News and Notes

Bogus Science

Bad advice comes in many forms and no branch of medicine is exempt from promoting faulty “science.” Just because you read something in the newspaper, the New York Times, or a health journal doesn’t necessarily make it true. Here is this month’s list of the biggest scams and shams:

    1. Full-body CT scans for “general diagnosis. The CT scan is not useful for a general health-screening exam and has never been proven or even studied for this purpose. Because such scans will almost always reveal some calcifications in the body, people are led to believe that they have problems that require surgery. Let you doctor order a CT scan for specific diagnosis when indicated, but leave the “let’s just scan you for a general exam” far, far alone for now. Save your $1,000 (approximate cost of test, not covered by insurance since it isn’t proven) and take your multiple vitamin/mineral supplement instead.
    2. Coral calcium: There is NO PROVEN SUPERIORITY of calcium derived from coral over other forms of calcium. Further, lead levels have been found to be unacceptably high in many samples of coral calcium.
    3. Lizard spit: being touted by drug companies as a new remedy for Type II diabetes. They claim that it slightly improves glucose control in 12 weeks. Friends, type II diabetes is COMPLETELY CURABLE in 8 weeks using diet alone, but you’ll never hear that from the drug companies. Too much money can be “milked” from adult-onset diabetics who either don’t know the truth of refuse to help themselves through diet.
    4. Vitamin A increases cancer risk: this is the worst of the “breakthrough news” this week. A second study using synthetic beta-carotene shows and increased risk of lung cancer in smokers. MANY population studies show a decreased risk. What’s going on? The fine print researchers forgot to report: synthetic beta-carotene does not function the same as natural beta-carotene. Natural and synthetic nutrients are not the same, that’s the only “take home message” from this study. Don’t stop taking your antioxidants on the basis of this one bit of really bad science!

Dr. Dana Myatt’s Wellness Club

Dr. Dana Myatt is here to help you.Dr. Myatt’s Patients Speak Out

For nearly three decades of medical practice Dr. Myatt has been performing what many of her patients consider medical miracles. Dr. Myatt prefers to simply call it “good doctoring.”

Whatever it is called, many of her patients have written to express thei appreciation and gratitude for her care.

Here are some of their stories:

Lynne – 64 years oldclick to show/hide

Lynne’s story:

12/19/12

My name is Lynne.  I am 64 years old and split my time living between Iowa and Arizona.  I have been a patient of  Dr. Myatt’s for about eleven months.  She recently asked me some questions about my decision to work with her and my experience.  I have decided to put this in narrative form in the event it may help someone else struggling with decisions about their health and lifestyle.

There were five reasons I began looking at Dr. Myatt as my choice for healthcare. 

  1.  I have a good friend who has been a patient for years.  About 1 ½ years ago, she was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer.  Working with her oncologist and Dr. Myatt in tandem, she is now cancer free and looks better than I do!  That to me is a miracle.
  2. Some health problems were creeping up.  Some hair loss, inability to sleep, a lump on my thyroid, etc. 
  3. Too many of my peers are starting to talk about their growing list of prescriptions, or are measuring their lives from Dr. appnt to Dr. appnt.  New symptom?……new pill.  Five years ago I went through Guillian-Barre syndrome and spent a year with Drs. and rehab specialists.  I hated it. 
  4. I have come to realize I was choosing to do what I wanted in life, then handed a broken body to a Dr. to heal…………..only to return to doing what I wanted!  I struggled with the awakening idea that I am a partner in my wellness; that I have choices and control.  I wanted to push a body “reset” button and make changes so I could stay as healthy as possible for as long as possible, medication free. 
  5. I am a member of the league of aging women who add a few pounds every year.  I hated that too, but have done every weight loss program known to man. 

This did not come to me in a lightbulb moment!  I spent a year debating the pros and cons.  Some of my concerns were:

  1. Would I fail as I have so many times?
  2. Would I be as committed to it three months in as I would be the day I signed on?
  3. Did this mean I was turning my back on traditional medicine?
  4. How could it possibly be effective working through email, conference calls and across many states?
  5. Was this based on voodoo or “science?”

I finally grasped on to the adage “Nothing changes if nothing changes.”  Sometime after the last holiday season, I called Dr. Myatt, had a consultation and signed up for a health “overhaul”.  I simply told my husband he didn’t have to do anything just because I was, but I needed his support.  Period.

Fast forward to the present.  I am now 35 lbs lighter and have gone from a size 14/16 to an 8/10 and we are not done yet!

I sleep very well, no more hair loss, and we are working on the thyroid issue.

I receive compliments all the time on how much better I look, but I know how much better I feel.

In no way did I turn my back on traditional medicine when needed.  Dr. Myatt referred me for a thyroid biopsy.  Since it was benign, we are working to see if surgery will still be needed or not.  She sees value in both options, but again, I get to make decisions and choices regarding treatment.  She is always there to guide and present the pros and cons.

I actually have come to prefer working through email and phone when possible.  No sitting endlessly in waiting rooms, and when we have our hour long conferences, I have her undivided attention and the opportunity to ask any and all questions.  When the media presents a new “study”, if it is one that affects me, I contact her and get a prompt response.  Recently it was the announcement that “eggs are as dangerous as smoking.”  I LOVE eggs, so contacted her and she is always on top of the research, the nature of the study, and comes back with a scientific explanation for why this is or is not a valid statement.  In an emergency, I can contact her and will hear back almost immediately as to what steps to take.

I have not failed, I am still not on any health sustaining medications and have more energy than prior to changing my lifestyle.  I have certainly tried new solutions for problems (like activated charcoal for the flu, or castor oil packs).  Each time I start such a regimen, I shake my head as it is foreign to me…………only to find out I get exactly the results she predicted.

I will not pretend there have been no bumps in the road.  We recently travelled overseas and I hit lots of “glitches”.  Now we are in the holiday season and I have 24 guests arriving in the next few days.  So my attention to myself has waned.  It is a self inflicted wound.  But I know now I can and will pull myself up by the bootstraps because the changes have been too good to walk away from.  I also know Dr. Myatt will be there to remind me of why we are doing all this.  She will be there to support me through the re-evaluation of the thyroid issues, and whatever will follow.

Oh yes, my husband?  Well he tagged along to the tune of a 40 lb weight loss and recently said “This is the best thing we’ve ever done.”  I also overheard him tell a friend recently “If I’m ever diagnosed with a serious illness, I’m just signing on with Dr. Myatt, because she knows her stuff!”  Of course, I questioned why one would wait UNTIL the serious diagnosis, if we can avoid such a diagnosis, but hey, he has come a long way!

I certainly understand those of you who were where I was a year ago.  My final list has to do with reasons for my success:

  1.  You have to be honest with yourself and with Dr. Myatt.
  2. You will not be perfect, but you will learn, and you will change.
  3. You are in the driver’s seat.  She cannot do this for you, but she will absolutely walk with you through the journey.
  4. Believe you are worth it!

Wishing you wellness in the New Year!
Lynne

Louis – 69 years oldclick to show/hide

Louis’ Story:

My name is Louis M. I live in southeastern coastal North Carolina. I am 69 years old.

I went on the Myatt Diet for multiple health reasons: most pressing was chronic upper respiratory infections every year. The common cold for me was a major illness sometimes lasting as long as two months and making me debilitating sick. I was also overweight, not in good physical condition in general, had impaired digestion, and high cholesterol.

I initially saw Dr Myatt in 1991 at the ARE Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona when she was a staff physician there and have consulted with her frequently since that time.

The diet has worked great for me. I rarely get upper respiratory problems and when I do they are short lived and minor.

My weight is down from over 200 pounds to 172 pounds today

My cholesterol is with normal limits.

I am in great physical condition playing competitive tennis several times weekly, working out a minimum of 3 times a week, and scuba diving comfortably whenever & wherever I desire to go.

The physical improvements, in my opinion, would have never occurred if not for the Dietary changes.

“Side effects” of the diet include improved sharpness of mind, cessation of sleepiness midafternoons, and boundless energy & drive… the lethargy I was experiencing went away when the carbs went away, simple as that!

I was never skeptical of the diet having read all or most of Dr Atkin’s books, but I did find it difficult to stay with the program consistently for a variety of reasons, most of which center around my own laziness: just not choosing & preparing great, simple foods for my own lunches, travel and so on. It was easy eating out a lot to slide back into French fries, poorly prepared dishes, desserts and so on. The problem here was never the diet, which is truly simple & straight forward; the only problem I ever encountered was me!! One does have to decide what is truly wanted and then commit to a consistent course of action in that direction.

Once I really got serious about following the diet as Dr Myatt has designed it, my progress was rapid and pronounced.

Now, I can simply prepare my own food for the most part and have also found it easy to accommodate eating out by simply being more selective about my choices!! There are so many, many foods that fit the diet that once one realizes that, it is not difficult to eat very well and easily

I will also note that I noticed improvements within days of starting the diet; in my case it was dramatic and very clear as my energy increased, mental focus and clarity improved, and just simple energy, feeling great came very quickly. It took longer for the respiratory improvement and there was additional treatment involved; however, the dietary changes provided the basis for the treatments to work.

The thing I most like about the diet is the simplicity; once I caught on, in a sense, and stayed with it long enough to get the big picture, it was and is easy. There is actually nothing that I don’t like about it.. .it is simple and, in my case, worked in the sense of enabling me to be much more healthy, energetic, and balanced. It does involve some definite changes in food choices and preparation, but with persistence the new ways become the new habits and comfortable.

Based on my personal experience I can recommend the Myatt Diet to anyone who is serious about improving their overall health.

Adrianne (and Ken!) – click to show/hide

Adrianne BeforeAdrianne AfterIn May of 2011, Adrianne was a Type II diabetic (had been for 30 years), 168 pounds, 5’4″.

She had an enlarged thyroid that has been biopsied three times but nothing definitive was found.

She had just been told by Mayo clinic that she was a “ticking time bomb” and would need immediate bypass surgery.

In less than 90 days, Adrianne was no longer diabetic.

She has gone from a size 18 to a size 4.

She walks 2+ miles per day (not bad for a “ticking time bomb”!), bypassed bypass, had the feeling in her feet (neuropathy) restored.

We’re still working on thyroid but her thyroid hormone levels are all normal. We are NOT considering surgery at this time.

Adrianne says she feels younger now than she did ten years ago. Her physical status is certainly much younger.

Here is Adrianne’s Story:

One day I came home from work exhausted, and the tiredness would not go away. Doctors struggled to figure out what was wrong with me, but despite what now seem like salient clues, no one looked at my heart.

I spent months struggling to stay out of bed any length of time and eventually my work put me on disability. My life became smaller. I hardly ever left the house, my energy just disappeared!

A little over a year ago I had a stroke. I had surgery and the surgeon found that the artery on the left side of my neck was 90 percent blocked. I also had a mild heart attack on the table. Amazingly, no one looked at my heart. Was it clogged too? Also, I had been an uncontrolled diabetic for thirty years. Was that an issue in my chances for successful surgery? What about my overweight? I had gained so much weight being idle…..

A month after my surgery I couldn’t walk three steps without chest pain. I insisted on being referred to a heart specialist. He found I had a murmur, and during tests found out all four of my arteries were blocked. I was referred to a surgeon who told me I was “a ticking time bomb” and needed immediate open heart surgery. Already reeling from my endardectomy (my neck surgery), with chest pain, overweight, and high blood pressure, the prospect of immediate surgery frightened me. I was pretty sure that if I submitted to that surgery at that time I would not survive. My body felt it had no reserves to draw from.

I wanted a second opinion, but even more, I wanted to know if there was any way to heal my body without having to undergo yet another major surgery. My family used to come to the Mayo clinic from Cuba when they had any serious issues, so I made an appointment to go to the Mayo clinic. That is where my intellect guided me. Deeper than that I was looking for a complete transformation, and that thought led me to contact Dr. Dana Myatt.

I met Dr. Dana (as I now refer to her) a very long time ago when I spend some healing time in Arizona. She was my doctor, just fresh from medical school, and filled with enthusiasm and grace. I decided to contact her also.

A short time later I made the trip to Arizona at Dr. Dana’s invitation and met with her and her husband Nurse Mark. Their warmth, understanding and stated commitment to helping me heal was comforting and I felt such gratitude! But I could hear my doctor’s words: “you are a ticking time bomb” still ringing loudly in my ears and I had SEEN the blockage in my arteries. Could Dr. Dana really help me?

Dr. Dana made a case for not having the surgery, but she vowed to help me whether I had the surgery or not. She gave me time to think about my options, to meet with the Mayo doctors, to do the internal work I needed in order to come to a decision. She was loving and respectful and I know she really believed she could help me without the surgery. I wasn’t so sure.

The doctors at Mayo were wonderful, and although I heard the “ticking time bomb” premise several more times, they also were clear about the risks of surgery and the fact that it was possible to medically manage the condition “for a little while until the surgery can happen”. I was told the importance of coming into the surgery with a positive outlook. I believed these doctors believed what they were telling me, but my spirit kept pulling me towards Dr. Dana.

I went to see Dr. Dana in Phoenix and signed up for the bus/limo, signed up and meant it! My life on the line, I was going to follow her advice to the letter.

What can I tell you? Dr. Dana has saved my life.!!

A year after joining my fellow limo passengers I have gone from a size 12 to a size 4 and stayed at a size 4 effortlessly by following Dr. Myatt’s recommendations.

I am no longer a diabetic, my daily sugars and A1c read like those of someone who was never touched by the disease. My blood pressure is normal.

My energy level, slowest to respond, has improved so much!

And gone are the days of my chest hurting after a few steps. I can walk almost three miles- and walk them strong.

My good cholesterol is off the charts, I live an active lifestyle, I have the energy I need to accomplish my goals.

Dr. Dana didn’t just take care of my symptoms. She looked at me as a whole person. She lifted me up when I was down and challenged my thinking when I wasn’t thinking clearly. She was there for me during every step of the way, and I do mean every step. And yes, when I dropped the ball she had a “come to Jesus” talk with me, the kind of talk that motivates and renews purpose.

I am still tying up some lose ends with Dr. Dana who will settle for nothing short of the very best things can be.

I love Dr. Dana, more than that I have no doubt that she has loved me unconditionally through this process and continues to do so, for it is really in her nature and her purpose to heal. Nurse Mark has been a great partner too! As a bonus, my husband started making many of the changes that Dr. Dana recommended for me and he has lost a little over sixty pounds- thank you Dr. Dana!

For anyone who is considering the Limo, The Bus, don’t think twice. Dr. Dana will be your best partner ever because she will look at all your systems, tweak even the minor things we don’t normally bring up during a doctor’s visit, and she will be ever present with your spirit. She really gives a million percent of herself.

I am a new person. I have been totally transformed. I am learning to manage my life on all levels as many things besides my heart were out of balance. My husband and I recently downsized our lifestyle as part of our life overhaul- this was not something Dr. Dana asked us to do, but she has been a tremendous support. So now we have less things in a condo in the city with a walk score of 97 out of a hundred. We live in a fourth floor condo with no other buildings around and a lovely floor to ceiling window in our living room that allows me a view of the sky every day and night. In so many ways Dr. Dana has helped me to transform my life to one of hope, joy, and much less fear. It is because of her that today I can “SEE” the sky!!

Now, this did not happen suddenly – about 3 months into her work with Dr. Myatt, Adrianne sent the following email: (presented here exactly as received)

I was a little reticent to send this until I was sure I wasn’t imagining what is happening with my feet.

WHEN I AM BAREFOOT I CAN FEEL THE FLOOR.  IN MY SOCK FEET THE CARPET IS NO LONGER A SOLID SURFACE, I CAN FEEL THE TEXTURE.  AFTER OVER A DECADE OF ABSOLUTE NUMBNESS!!!!!!!!!

My energy levels are the best they have been in three years.  Without a doubt.

I can walk a mile and sometimes a mile and a half without heartburn.

I went from daily laxative use to no laxative use and BM on most days or every other day.  Bloated feeling almost every day to maybe once or twice a week.

I have lost twenty pounds!!  I FEEL lighter and love it.

My mental confusion is improving.

I have not had antibiotics in five months after almost monthly use.

No rectal pain, no bleeding, no symptoms of ulcerative colitis

Blood pressure normal

Blood sugars almost normal

Vision has improved, no more weepy eyes or eye infections

My feet used to be cold all the time, now warm most of the time.

Everyone comments on how healthy I look.

My Mayo MD said I had gone from a category 4 to a category 2 heart disease, and that was a month and a half ago.

My complexion looks really good

Bags under my eyes almost gone.

Hair loss seems to have stopped and hairdresser notices new hair growth.

My diet is becoming a way of life.  I have not broken my commitment for even one meal since I began the journey.

There is a new rhythm to my life, although I recently had a bad day, my days now have a rhythm, and I am reconnecting with my spirituality.

I let go of unnecessary work commitments and have made time for pastimes I enjoy.

God Bless Dr, Myatt and Nurse Mark!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Adrianne’s husband (who thought maybe he might have “a few pounds to lose” but otherwise needed no help from Dr. Myatt came along for the ride – and look what happened! Ken will always be a “Big Guy” – he stands well over 6 feet tall – but now he’s a Big Slim Guy – getting back to his fightin’ fit military days weight!

Ken was a “Big Man” when we met.

Down from 315 to 270 – Lookin’ good…

Most recently – Wow!

Ken - when we met him Ken after a few months Our latest picture of Ken